Minister criticises GCC functioning

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has not fulfilled the aspirations of the region's people, Qatar's First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister has said.

"The GCC was born to tackle political, security economic matters. Is it doing what it is supposed to do? I think the answer is no," Shaikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jabr Al Thani said in Doha on Monday night.

"The Council has not lived up to the expectations. It has focussed on issues of little importance and failed to tackle major issues, particularly in the field of economic integration and defence."

To a question from a Kuwaiti MP on GCC's future prospects, the minister said the Council should keep up its activities "while waiting for the new generation to activate it".

Among the several examples given by Shaikh Hamad to support his perspective that the GCC did not live up to the ambitions of its people, is the Qatari-Kuwait gas pipeline, which is awaiting the approval of Saudi Arabia.

"Qatar is currently exporting its gas to Korea, but has not yet managed to export it to Kuwait," he said.

"Our businessmen are theoretically free to move and operate in other Gulf countries, but when they travel they find bureaucracy hindering them."