Riyadh: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh will on Sunday focus on enhancing joint action in social, political, security and economic areas, GCC Secretary-General Abdul Lateef Al Zayani said. It will also address ways to promote Gulf integration, as well as issues related to maintaining the region’s security and stability.
Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa will lead the Bahraini delegation while Kuwait said Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah will lead Kuwait’s delegation to the summit. Kuwait is the current president of the GCC Summit after it was held in Kuwait in December last year. Fahad Bin Mahmoud Al Saeed, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, will represent Oman.
The council will push to reinforce strategic partnerships with countries and international blocs while consolidating the status of the GCC regionally and internationally, Al Zayani said. The summit will be the 39th in the history of the GCC and the eighth to be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
Established in 1981 in Abu Dhabi, the council is made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
No country has joined or left the alliance since its inception and the GCC remains the only pan-Arab alliance that is still active at all levels. Its leaders hold an annual formal summit, usually in December, and an advisory meeting with no set agenda in May at its Riyadh headquarters.
In statements ahead of the summit, Al Zayani said the Iranian regime, often accused by the GCC of bullying some of its members and interfering with the domestic affairs of Arab countries, must reconsider its political orientation and abide by the basic principles and principles governing relations between countries based on the United Nations Charter and international legal covenants.
The Iranian issue will be discussed by GCC leaders at the Riyadh summit, Al Zayani added.
“Iran is an important neighbour and the GCC countries have always called for constructive cooperation with it. Unfortunately, Iran continues to interfere in the internal affairs of the GCC states and supports terrorist organisations and militias to destabilise the region,” Al Zayani said in an interview with the Sharq Al Awsat newspaper.
The Yemeni, Syrian, Palestinian and Iraqi issues will also be taken up at the summit in order to review the latest developments and adopt positions that emphasise the determination of the GCC to support these countries in achieving stability, security and peace while assisting them in rebuilding areas devastated by wars and conflicts.
He added that the council is also determined to support the needy and displaced in these countries and to also adopt unified positions in the international arena.
For analysts, the GCC, which was set up amidst ominous threats to the region — sparked mainly by the Iraq-Iran war and subsequent military escalations — is still facing numerous challenges that require a show of unity and determination.
Time of change
“At this stage of rapid changes, hot political winds, and harsh and soft threats in international legal institutions, we must all try in this region to ensure that distant interests prevail over haughtiness and arrogance, and work together to address core issues,” Kuwaiti researcher Mohammad Al Rumaihi said.
Abdullah Al Ayoubi, a Bahraini columnist, warned that the “recent developments in the region and the door opened by the Qatar dispute to foreign forces do not serve the progress of the GCC”.
“Such developments and regional changes require the GCC states to find new mechanisms that will help them move forward while ensuring their strength and cohesion,” he said. “The existence of the GCC is full of advantages to the member-states and their people, so ways to protect the council and keep its steady pace forward should always be high on the agenda of the summits.”
Of paramount importance for the region’s inhabitants is the protection of the GCC, as an entity that has brought them together, and measures to reinforce its positive features while addressing its softer aspects.
“We have no illusions that the Qatar crisis will be resolved soon,” Abu Faisal, a Saudi national, said. “We do want the GCC to make sure it is not weakened by any attempt to rupture it or cause any fissures at its seams. We of course want it to get better, stronger and more rewarding for us, but we have learnt not to have expectations that are too high. We also want all the member-states to be realistic in their approaches and attitudes and avoid any form of adventurism because the council is the best shield that protects all of us.”
