Meguid and Annan to participate in Gulf Cooperation Council summit

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Arab League Secretary-General Esmat Abdul Meguid will participate for the first time in the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in Abu Dahbi next week.

Political sources said that Annan expressed his happiness over attending the summit, which he described as an important chance to discuss security issues in the region and other issues affecting the Islamic world, adding that the GCC is playing an effective role in the cooperation among the Arab Gulf states.

GCC Secretary-General Sheikh Jamil al-Hujeilan stated that the summit will tackle the economic effects of the deterioration of petroleum prices, which will come at the first stage of the summit's agenda, adding that this deterioration affects the economies of the six GCC member states.

Meanwhile al-Hujeilan met on Monday in Manama with the Emir of Bahrain, Sheikh Issa Bin Salman al-Khaleifa, and Prime Minister Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Salman al-Khaleifa. The Gulf News Agency reported that talks dealt with matters relating to the 19th Gulf summit which will be held in Abu Dhabi on December 7 - 9 as well as regional issues.

Following the meeting, al-Hujeilan told Bahraini reporters and television correspondents that the forthcoming Gulf summit will discuss conditions in the Middle East and Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan, relations between the GCC member states and Iran as well as military and economic matters of concern to the GCC.