Gulf states and Iran have special relations: UAE
United Arab Emirates-Iran, Politics, 5/6/2006

The Foreign Minister of United Arab Emirates (UAE) said today that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) attaches special importance to its ties with Iran.

Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayid al-Nahayan, whose country currently is the rotating chair of the GCC at the completion of the 8th advisory session of the heads of the GCC, told reporters that "Iran is a Moslem and neighboring country and we welcome closer ties in all areas with Tehran." Iran, GCC country have long and deep-seated economic, political, cultural and historical relations and there is no other way other than bolstering bilateral cooperation, he added.

He said that developments in the Iran nuclear dossier are important and thanked Iranian officials who have given assurances in this regard to the region.

Last week Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani in a meeting with the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan expounded on the latest developments in the country's nuclear issue within the framework of international laws.

Turning to Iran's full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over the past three years, he said meanwhile, the Iranian officials volunteered to accept the Additional Protocol and even went beyond it.

"Over the past three years, Iran has facilitated the inspection of its nuclear facilities by the agency's inspectors to an extent that the number of inspections exceeded 2,000.

Larijani added that Iran has been complying with its commitments under NPT's Nuclear Disarmament Treaty and the country is fully ready for the IAEA continuous inspections under the broad-based nuclear Safeguard Agreement.

Turning to Iran-UAE ties, he said the two countries enjoy deep-rooted economic and commercial ties.

"Iran has no problem with its neighbors. The problem is the United States because it intends to cause problems and discord among regional states and between Shiites and Sunnis."

Meantime, GCC Secretary-General Abd ar-Rahman al-Atiyah told the Saudi Okaz that the GCC hopes the United Nations Security Council would give the IAEA more opportunity to settle Iran's nuclear case as the most suitable body to preserve peace and security and discuss Iran's nuclear dossier.

He said that the region cannot tolerate a new crisis, adding that access to peaceful nuclear energy is a right of every country and no state can be deprived of this right under IAEA regulations.

He criticized the West's double-standard policies on the nuclear issue and called for Israel to be made to account with regard to its nuclear weapons and to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a first step to making the Middle East a region free from weapons of mass destruction.

Previous Stories:
  Larijani briefs UAE president on Iran's nuclear case   (5/2/2006)
  Iran, UAE review security cooperation   (4/20/2006)
  UAE fears radioactive leaks from Iran Bushaher reactor   (2/16/2006)

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