Al-Ateyah: Iraq can join the GCC
Gulf-Iraq, Politics, 5/27/2003

The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC Abdul Rahman al-Ateyah said that there is nothing that prevents Iraq's gradual joining of certain offices of the Gulf Cooperation Council after stabilizing of its conditions and forming its legitimate government.

In a press conference he held on Sunday evening on the occasion of the GCC secretariat's celebration of its 22nd anniversary, al-Ateyah said that "Iraq can join certain offices of the GCC, the same as Yemen which is now a member in many of the GCC offices," adding that Iraq was a member in all commissions and councils in the context of the Arab Gulf states and it is its right to play its due role in these organizations and also in regional and international organizations.

Al-Ateyah noted the participation of the GCC member states in rebuilding Iraq through measures taken by the Gulf Ministerial council in its two meetings in Kuwait and Riyadh to provide relief aids and humanitarian support for the Iraqi people. He stressed the participation of the GCC in any program set for rebuilding of Iraq due to the relations of neighborhood and partnership in the Gulf region.

Concerning the GCC role in fighting terrorism, al-Ateyah said that the GCC is a coordinative system and that there are Gulf security meetings to fight it.

He noted the GCC achievements in the political side, include the way it dealt with the Iraq- Iran war, and avoiding the region its negative reflections and unifying the Gulf position concerning Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Al-Ateyah said that the Palestinian question was and is still of great focus in the interests of the GCC members states which support the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to establish their own independent state with Jerusalem as a capital, adding that the GCC position concerning the Roadmap complies with the desire of the Palestinians.

As for military cooperation among the GCC member state, al-Ateyah commended the role played by the " al-Jazeera Shield" forces, which is ready to defend the security of the member states.

Al-Ateyah also disclosed the intention of the council to execute the project of founding a Gulf Satellite to be used for security purposes, adding that this large project is still under study by specialized committees and falls in the course of renovation and development of the joint Gulf forces, providing it with advanced technologies and linking it in secure telecommunications.

In the economic field, the GCC secretary general explained that the new Gulf economic agreement came in compliance with the development of the economic work in the member states and to cope with economic development. He added that a leading Saudi company was chosen to renovate the organizational structure of the GCC general secretariat which was issued since 22 years.

Previous Stories:
  GCC' s biannual summit Wednesday in Riyadh   (5/20/2003)
  Preparations for the fifth biannual Gulf summit   (5/5/2003)
  US permit diplomats to return back to 4 Gulf states   (4/23/2003)
  Gulf economics to be affected by the likely war against Iraq   (3/17/2003)
  Special meeting for the Gulf foreign and defense ministers   (1/31/2003)
  Gulf ignores American threats of war; al-Faisal: we cooperate according to international law   (12/23/2002)

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