GCC chief vows to defend interests of GCC states

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdullatif Al Zayani described the summit in Bahrain on December 6 and 7 as “the summit of growth” that will pave the way for more integration between the GCC member states in order to preserve achievements and maximise them.

In an interview with the Bahraini news agency BNA on Monday, Zayani vowed to to protect the security and interests of the GCC states and said that holding the GCC Summit in Bahrain has a special importance given the regional circumstances which necessitate continuous consultation to confront various regional challenges.

The GCC is made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He pointed out that many issues are scheduled for discussion, pertaining mainly to joint GCC work in political, defence, security, economic and social fields. He added, the summit will also shed light on regional issues, relations of the GCC member states with the rest of the world and counter-terrorism efforts.

The GCC Secretary General reasserted the GCC support to Bahrain in its efforts to maintain its security and deter terrorism, reiterating condemnation of all terror acts targeting the kingdom to shake its security and stability and jeopardize people’s life and properties. He also emphasised ongoing security and military cooperation between the GCC countries, describing it as a top priority and pointing out that it has reached an advanced level.

As for Yemen, the GCC Secretary General stressed that the council still considers a political solution there as the best option to settle the conflict and spare the Yemeni people the horror of war.

Concerning the agreement to reduce oil production, Al Zayani noted that the Saudi-Russian agreement aims to restore balance and stability to the global oil markets for the interest of productive and consumer countries. He pointed out that the oil market is global and the prices depend on political, economic and security factors. He underlined the key role played by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in coordinating work and ensuring a stable price that serves the interests of the productive and consumer countries.

Regarding the GCC-Russian and the GCC-US relations after the election of Donald Trump as President, the GCC Secretary General pointed out the remarkable growth of relations with Russia within the framework of strategic dialogue. He added that the GCC-US relations are deep-rooted and multi-faceted, including political, economic, security and military fields.

Source: MENA