Al-Sabah's opening speech at GCC meeting

Foreign ministers of the six Arab Gulf Cooperation Council states on Thursday in Jeddah started the meetings of their 68th session to discuss several Gulf, Arab and international issues.

In an inaugural speech, the first Kuwaiti Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh al-Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah said that on the grounds of pan-Arab commitment to peace as a strategic option, the GCC will continue calling on the Middle East peace process cosponsors to gear up their efforts so as to reset the Middle East peace process into the right track, providing for Israel's withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, foremost being Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and south Lebanon, according to relevant UN resolutions and the land for peace formula.

Concerning Arab Gulf-Iranian relations, Sheikh al-Sabah reiterated the care of the GCC member states to support and strengthen relations with Iran on solid ground, ensuring security and stability in the region. He expressed the GCC's hope that current contacts between the United Arab Emirates and Iran would lead to an amicable and peaceful solution to their dispute over the sovereignty of three Gulf islands.

On fighting terrorism as an international phenomenon, the Kuwaiti minister, whose country is presiding the current meetings of the GCC council, said, "We invite the international community, represented by the UN to take necessary measures in challenging terrorism and to take measures against sides which give shelter or advocate support for terrorist elements so as to save the international community from more humanitarian catastrophes and strengthen security and stability for the world's countries as a whole."