Gulf states leaders meet in Abu Dhabi to promote inter cooperation
Gulf, Politics, 12/16/2005

Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are meeting on December 18 and 19 in their 26th ordinary annual meeting in Abu Dhabi in order to discuss means of strengthening inter- Arab Gulf relations and strengthen cooperation in the economic and social fields.

The secretary general of the GCC, Abdul Rahman al-Ateyah, said in statements he made this week in Abu Dhabi that the GCC summit "will add a new impetus for the GCC march on the economic and social levels." The GCC leaders will discuss latest obstacles facing the signing of the free trade agreement between the GCC and the European Union due to be signed by the end of this year.

The leaders will be also studying a recommendation provides for the extension of the interim period of the costumes federation for two extra years, according to al-Ateyah, by the end of November, stressing that this matter is considered logical in terms of the age of the union which was launched in 2003 "with an interim phase lasting for three years.

At the economic level, the GCC leaders are to discuss the project for "drawing the mechanism to transfer the process of bilateral agreement for the establishment of other free zones that were negotiated by certain GCC member states" with other groups, such as with the USA, to collective agreements at the level of the GCC so as to be submitted to the negotiation team at the Council.

At the social level. the GCC leaders are to discuss in particular with a new proposal to specify the stay period for foreign workers in the GCC member states to six years.

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