GCC has always been a force for peace

Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), wrapping up their annual summit in Abu Dhabi yesterday, naturally expressed "an extreme concern" over the speedy expansion of Iran's nuclear programme.

But, contrary to perceptions spread by the WikiLeaks website quoting American diplomats, the leaders reiterated their opposition to the much talked about military option to tackle the Iran crisis. Instead, they welcomed "international efforts, including those made by the P5+1, to peacefully resolve Iran's nuclear crisis and hope it will respond positively to these efforts", according to a translation of the summit's final communiqué.

The summit of course has taken several decisions to speed up the integration of the six member states economically and socially, but it was important to spell out yet again in clear and definitive terms the GCC position towards the mostly complicated issue of neighbouring Iran's atomic project and its quest to exert influence in some parts of the Arab world. The GCC, which has a decades-old problem with Iran concerning the occupied UAE islands, nevertheless wanted to make it very clear that those issues must be addressed peacefully.

By its nature, the GCC is a force for stability. Its core purpose is to ensure stability and prosperity in the region. In all its 30-year history, it has strived to make human development its first priority and the results are there for all to see. Today, the GCC member states are leading the developing world on every development index. But development needs a stable and secure environment. Thus, few believed the GCC was actually looking to increase tension.

The Gulf is famous for its mediation efforts in a number of crises, including Sudan, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon. The aim is to bring about peaceful settlements and restore stability in an otherwise tumultuous region. The GCC has a proven record of promoting peace and stability. The Abu Dhabi communiqué with regard to Iran is an embodiment of this.