Gulf summit to be held in Muscat, Sunday
Gulf, Politics, 12/29/2001

Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will hold on Sunday and Monday in Muscat their 22nd summit amid special security and economic conditions at the international level, as the world is still living the atmospheres of war against terrorism, the tense situation in the Middle East and the decrease in the world oil prices.

In their meeting, the GCC leaders will concentrate on discussing current developments in the Middle East under the continued state terrorism conducted by Israel against the Palestinians, the international conditions resulted from the consequences of the September 11 in the USA, including the situation in Afghanistan.

It is however excepted that the GCC leaders will form a defense higher council during this summit and this will be in implementation of the joint defense agreement signed by the GCC leaders at Manama summit in 2000.

At the economic level, the GCC leaders will discuss several key economic issues, including the new draft economic agreement which will be approved instead of the economic agreement used to be enacted at the beginning of the GCC foundation in 1981.

The summit is expected to approve early implementation of the GCC customs federation to be valid in 2003 instead of 2005 as well as to maintain an agreement on a united Customs tariff at 5% on all commodities imported from abroad instead of the two tariffs 5% and 7%.

To this effect, the GCC foreign ministers will meet today ( Saturday) in Muscat to complete preparations for the summit. The ministers of finance and the economy in part of this meeting.

Previous Stories:
  Arab Gulf women conference   (12/27/2001)
  Oman hosts GCC summit conference   (12/12/2001)
  GCC Foreign ministers conclude deliberations   (11/29/2001)

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