Call to shore up GCC charter at summit

The Amir of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, opening the 38th annual summit of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), on Tuesday called for a mechanism in the bloc to resolve disputes among its members.

He said the GCC has faced "painful and negative" developments over the past six months because of a bitter rift between its members. "We have been stormed in the past six months with painful and negative developments... but we managed to achieve calm," Sheikh Sabah said.

Reading out the Kuwait Declaration at the end of the cut-short summit later, GCC chief Abdullatif Al Zayani said it was imperative that Gulf states unite in their efforts to face challenges and threats to their security and stability.

Al Zayani said Gulf leaders see eye-to-eye on achieving unity and coordination and strengthening their ties in the economic, security and military fields, particularly in the fight against terrorism. Gulf states are also keen to continue working on several joint projects, including the GCC common market and customs union, he said.

The declaration urged media representatives in the region to bear their responsibility in supporting efforts aimed at cooperation among the bloc's member states.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdlulaziz of Saudi Arabia, and the leaders of the UAE and Bahrain were absent from the summit.

Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who was leading the UAE delegation, said the insistence of Sheikh Sabah to convene the summit on time in these critical circumstances was a "very positive step".

In his opening remarks earlier, Sheikh Sabah called for the GCC charter to be amended to establish a clear mechanism for resolving disputes between member states.

He touched on the GCC's joint accomplishments since the formation of the council, adding that the future still holds more goals to achieve and milestones to surpass.

"The holding of the summit proves to the world that the GCC, as an important entity, needs to continue to address the needs of the people of the region."

Uniting the Gulf countries against regional and international challenges will ensure the security and stability of the council, the Amir said.

The international community managed to achieve victories against terrorism in both Iraq and Syria; however, the threat of extremism still looms large, he said.

The Amir lauded the Saudi efforts in uniting the front of the Syrian opposition, hoping that this policy will bring peace to the war-torn country.

He commended the efforts carried out by the Saudi-led coalition, which supports the legitimacy in Yemen, adding that it was important to continue providing all forms of assistance, especially humanitarian relief, to the Yemenis.

The Amir called on the Houthis to abide by the political solution in Yemen, saying that UN Resolution 2216, the Gulf initiative, and national dialogue were part of the solution.

Concerning the peace process in the Middle East, the Amir expressed hopes that talks will move forward in order to reach a just and everlasting peace agreement.

He reiterated the GCC's resolve to continue working with the Iraqi government to maintain stability, stressing the significance of participation in the conference slated for mid-February in Kuwait dedicated for the reconstruction of Iraqi areas affected by Daesh.

The Amir said that Iran was still violating principles of international law. He called on Iran to abide by rules, which respect the sovereignty and internal affairs of neighbouring states, affirming that this was an integral condition, which ensures the stability of the region. ?

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