GCC chief to visit Brussels

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Latif Bin Rashid Al-Zayani on Sunday will start a four-day visit to Brussels in response to an invitation by the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton, Kuwait news agency (KUNA) reported on Saturday. During his first visit to the EU since his designation as the GCC Chief in April last year, Dr. Al-Zayani is scheduled to hold talks with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said a statement released by NATO. He will also hold talks with the President of the EU Council Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz on means of enhancing bilateral ties and cooperation between the two important regional groupings, according to KUNA. Dr. Al-Zayani is also set to address the EP committee on Foreign Affairs. "This visit is a very important as it will enhance the GCC-EU relations and give more impetus to the relationship and foster dialogue and discussions regarding developments in the region," Amal Al-Hamad, GCC ambassador to the European Union, told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). "The EU clearly supports the vital role the GCC is playing in the region and they want to hear from the Secretary General what he thinks about developments in Yemen after the signing of the GCC initiative," she noted. Moreover, the two sides are expected to discuss the situation in Iran, Syria and Egypt, said KUNA. "We are strategic partners to the EU therefore we will try to find some solutions to these problems," said the GCC''s top diplomat in Brussels.