Saudi crown prince: Iran is a friend, no disputes among the GCC states

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz has asserted that there are no disputes among the GCC member states. He explained, "There is nothing which soils the solid relations linking the GCC member states."

In a press conference he held on Monday in Jeddah at the conclusion of the first GCC consultative summit, the Saudi crown prince indicated that: "There are no differences between the GCC member states concerning relations with Iran," noting that Iran is "a friendly and dear country."

Absent from the summit were the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan, and the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos Bin Saeed.

The GCC leaders held two meetings. The first was at al-Salaam palace under the chairmanship of King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz. It was attended by heads of the GCC participating delegations and GCC Secretary General Jamil Hujeilan. The second meeting was held on Monday night and was chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, in which the GCC leaders discussed economic and political conditions in the Gulf region.

The GCC ministers stressed that the question of the three United Arab Emirates UAE islands is a "fixed right" and called on Iran to accept the just principles proposed by the UAE to settle the issue of the three islands in negotiations or arbitration.

It was noted that the two GCC consultative meetings were characterized by optimism and understanding, especially after the telephone calls made by UAE President Sheikh Zayed on Sunday night to the Saudi king and crown prince eliminated doubts on a possible Saudi -UAE dispute over the closeness between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

For his part, UAE Minister of Information and Culture Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed al-Nahyan denied in a statement to the London-based al-Hayat daily any disputes with Saudi Arabia. He stated that the absence of the UAE president from the Summit was due to "health reasons." He commented, "If there would be a dispute it will be treated with a spirit of fraternity and objectivity."