Gulf consultation summit in Bahrain calls on Washington to halt the Israeli aggression
Gulf-Palestine, Politics, 5/15/2001

Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have called for a more active role to end the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians and to resume peace talks in the Middle East, warning against dangers which threaten security of the region.

The GCC secretary general Jamil al-Hujeilan stressed following a summit held in Bahrain on Monday that the Palestinian Intifada against Israel on the top of the agenda of the talks which will be held twice a year.

He added, in a statement, that leaders of the GCC criticized the Israeli practices conducted against the Palestinian people.

The statement added that" the GCC leaders urged the international community, foremost being the US to exert all efforts to halt the Israeli practices and return back the negotiations into its right track so as to avert dangers impeding the security of the region and its stability in a way to achieve just and comprehensive peace built on international legitimacy resolutions.

Al-Hujeilan said that the Gulf leaders approved an invitation extended by Qatar which presides over the current session of the OIC to convene an urgent meeting for the GCC foreign ministers " to discuss the grave conditions in the occupied Arab territories."

This is, however, the third consultation meeting for the GCC leaders who meet once a year since those leaders had agreed in 1999 to convene two meeting every year.

Al-Hujeilan did not say if the Gulf leaders had discussed economic policies amid calls addressed by the International Monetary Fund to them to open their economies and attract more foreign investments.

The works of the summit were attended by the ruler of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa, the ruler of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani, the ruler of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the United Arab Emirates was presented by Abu Dhabi crown prince and the Omani deputy prime minister for the cabinet affairs Fahd Bin Mahmoud attended the summit on behalf of Sultan Qabous Bin Saeed of Oman.

Leaders of the GCC which was established in 1981 hold two meetings a year. The first is a consultation one in the mid of the year and the second is ordinary in order to decide in decisions by the end of the year. So far two consultation meetings were held in Jeddah ( 1999) and Muscat ( 2000), the next ordinary session will be held in Oman.

Previous Stories:
  Gulf leaders to meet on Monday in Bahrain   (5/10/2001)
  Russia for closer cooperation with the Gulf states   (5/3/2001)
  A Gulf consultation meeting on May 14   (5/1/2001)

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