Signing of Gulf common defense agreement postponed

Defense ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council's six member states concluded their meeting in Dubai on Wednesday, but without signing the common defense agreement as scheduled.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul al-Aziz said that signing a defense agreement is a "very important issue that it should take its due time for detailed and deep study by the chiefs of staff of the armed forces," who will submit the draft for the agreement at the next meeting of the GCC defense ministers.

Sources close to participants in the meeting of the GCC defense ministers reported that Qatar, which was represented to the meeting by its foreign minister, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jaber al-Thani, showed reservations over signing the agreement which was proposed by Bahrain, due to the fact that there is a border conflict between Manama and Doha.

The defense ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman started on Tuesday their meeting which precedes the annual GCC summit scheduled on November 27 in Riyadh.