GCC Foreign Ministers set to discuss proposed Gulf Union

The GCC Foreign Minister are set to discuss the final proposal of transforming the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) into a Gulf Union within a few weeks from now, it was announced here yesterday. "The study to form the Gulf Union, which has been completed by the GCC panel entrusted with the task to examine the plan for Gulf Union, will be reviewed by the alliance foreign ministers soon," the Saudi daily (Arab News) quoted GCC Secretary-General Abdullateef Al-Zayani saying. Al-Zayani said the commission tasked with studying the initiative had completed its work and submitted it to the council of foreign ministers. The GCC foreign ministers will have two meetings soon, one possibly next week before the Islamic summit and another next month, he said. "But, the initiative to move to a Gulf Union will be discussed by the GCC foreign ministers when they convene next month." Al-Zayani said the committee tasked with studying the initiative of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has concluded all its deliberations. A lot of interesting points have come up while a lot of differences have been resolved with a view to finally see the creation of a strong Gulf Union, he added. Al-Zayani said the GCC committee in a separate meeting discussed its final report before submitting it to the Supreme Council. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia called on fellow GCC states Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE to move from the phase of cooperation to a Gulf union within a single entity. The six member states of the Council, founded in 1981, in Abu Dhabi have reportedly agreed on the move, but had different views on the pace of implementation. An ad hoc commission made up of 12 members two from each member country was set up to look into ways to implement the proposal.