Gulf defense ministers meet in Dubai
Gulf, Politics, 11/17/1999

The 18th meeting of the foreign ministers of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council started in Dubai on Tuesday. The ministers are expected to sign, during the meeting, a common defense pact.

The Gulf News Agency quoted GCC Secretary General Sheikh Jamil al-Hujeilan as saying in an inaugural speech that military cooperation among the GCC member states has achieved good stages on the level of decisions and studies. He indicated that the six GCC member states have also achieved a great progress in their inter-military cooperation. He said efforts are continuous to strengthen the volume of the common defense forces, known as "The Shield of al-Jazira," and to provide this force with advanced military equipment and technology.

Officials said that some countries showed reservations toward the idea of ratifying a regional defense agreement.

The defense ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar met at the Dubai 2000 International Aerospace Exhibition, in which more than 500 international companies are displaying civilian and military airplanes.

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jamil al-Hujelian in opening the meeting said that the six GCC member states achieved great progress in military cooperation in the participation in military maneuvers, as well as in the communications system, the air defense systems and the early warning system.

Gulf security sources said that some states showed signs of refraining from agreeing on the proposal by Bahrain to sign a defense agreement.

Last Sunday, Kuwaiti Minister of Defense Sheikh Salem al-Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah said the GCC member states will sign in Dubai an agreement on common defense that stipulates that any foreign aggression against any of the GCC member states is considered as an aggression against the other members in the GCC.

Previous Stories:
  Ruler of Kuwait confers with GCC secretary General   (11/16/1999)
  Gulf states continue unification steps in defense and commerce   (11/15/1999)
  Iraqi paper calls on Gulf states to help lift sanctions   (11/8/1999)

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