Al-Ghanim: GCC achievements below leaders\' ambitions, people hopes

Kuwait's National Assembly Speaker and Chairman of the 7th Round of the Legislative Councils of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, Marzouq Al-Ghanim, has praised significant achievements of the GCC, but underlined achievements are below leaders' ambitions and people hopes. "Thanks to Allah and the wisdom of leaders of the six Gulf countries, the GCC has entered its fourth decade with achievements that are considered a success by any standard," Al-Ghanim said in a speech at the opening session of the 34th Summit of the Supreme Council of the GCC that kicked off earlier Tuesday evening. Al-Ghanim, however, said that the achievements still below the high ambitions of Gulf leaders and great hopes of people. "The Gulf people are looking forward to accelerating the pace of the achievement, increasing the effectiveness of the GCC, expanding economic cooperation to emerge as an influential bloc on the global economy through creation of a common market, enhancing and diversifying educational and cultural exchange, offering all support to the youth and their causes," he said. He ascribed the low pace of achievement to the huge challenges facing the Gulf countries as well as the enormous responsibilities they shoulder. "It hasn't addressed all the challenges and rapid-pace developments because there is no organization that has ever shouldered such a huge development and security responsibilities similar to that of the GCC," he said. "Nor has ever an organization shouldered such a great national, regional, humanitarian and ethical responsibilities similar to that of the GCC." Meanwhile, Al-Ghanim expressed pride of Kuwait's hosting of the Gulf Summit and welcomed the visiting Gulf leaders. He recalled the unforgettable stances of the Gulf countries during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1991. "The Gulf states unity to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion in 1991 had embodied the wisdom of the formation of the Gulf Cooperation Council and gave it a credibility and leverage and respected status." On the other hand, he expressed gratitude for the Gulf leaders' unlimited support to the regular meetings of Heads of the GCC Legislative Councils. "Due to your support, the regular meetings of the heads of the GCC Legislative Councils have developed into a pillar of the joint GCC action," he said. He pointed out that the meetings of the heads of the GCC Legislative Councils have made remarkable achievements in terms of way of action and institutional work as well as the effective interaction and exchange of views. "Among the fruits of these meetings are the continuous consultations and unifications of stances which helped the GCC parliaments emerge as one bloc in regional and international parliamentary gatherings," he said. "Moreover, the recent agreement to form a joint committee to review economic laws to pave the way for full economic integration among member states," he added. He urged Gulf leaders to offer similar support to the civil society organizations in the Gulf countries to play its aspired role to be a link between the governments and people. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah inaugurated the 34th Summit of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The GCC consists of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. The GCC was established in 1981. The purpose of the GCC is to achieve coordination, integration and inter-connection among member states in all fields in order to achieve unity, as well as formulate similar regulations in economic anf financial affairs, commerce, customs and communications, as well as education and culture.