Al Attiyah updates Khalifa on GCC Summit preparations

Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday received Abdul Rahman Bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was present.

Shaikh Khalifa was updated by Al Attiyah on the latest arrangements and preparations by Kuwait to host the GCC Summit in mid-December, as well as on efforts to push the GCC joint action forward.

The President reaffirmed the UAE's full support for the GCC march in all fields and wished all success to the GCC Summit under the chairmanship of Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait.

Al Attiyah said the Kuwait summit would constitute a critical turning point in the group's march to the future, especially because the summit would be held at a time when the Gulf region and the world are passing through critical circumstances. "This requires a common stance in order to address current challenges in the political, social and economic spheres,'' he said.

He praised as "critical'' the role the President plays in advancing the GCC march towards achieving the welfare and prosperity of GCC citizens.

"The UAE, under the leadership of Shaikh Khalifa, has been and still is the key supporter of resolutions and moves taken by the GCC so as to consolidate the bloc's joint cooperation," Al Attiyah said in a statement to WAM. Al Attiyah also lauded proactive measures taken by the UAE under the directives of Shaikh Khalifa to address the implications of the global financial crisis and cushion its economy against them. He said that he briefed Shaikh Khalifa on the agenda of the upcoming meeting.