Economic and military affairs to top GCC summit agenda

Manama - Al Rumaihi said the GCC council has made numerous achievements in several fields including defence, security and economy.

The 37th GCC summit is set to take key economic decisions, and the military and economic files are on top of the files to be on the table, said Ali bin Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Bahrain's Minister of Information Affairs.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Al Rumaihi said the peoples of the GCC states are so optimistic of the current summit, pointing out that the GCC council has made numerous achievements in several fields including defence, security and economy.
"The GCC states have now a unified police apparatus and an economic development authority, which is chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince," Al Rumaihi said, adding all those are the indicators that it is a summit of good.
Al Rumaihi lauded the role played by the GCC media as they speak in the same positive manner.
He said the positive role played by the Gulf media in the past reflects clearly how firm and strong are the ties between the member countries.
Regarding the joint GCC media work and how weak it was recently, Bahrain's Minister of Information Affairs clarified that the Joint Program Production Institution of the Arabian Gulf States was established before the Gulf Cooperation Council in Kuwait. "It has lots of achievements. It will be back as its HQ has been moved to Riyadh, with a fully furnished facility has now been over," he noted.
Meanwhile, Mones Al Mardi, Chairman of the Bahrain Journalists Association (BJA) who also serves as editor in chief of Al Bilad daily, told Khaleej Times that the GCC summit is an extraordinary summit, which is being held in view of changeable and unstable economic, political and security conditions.
Al Mardi expects that it will be a positive summit since a spirit of affection prevail the summit and its leaders.
Further, the UK Prime Minister Theresa May will be attending the summit in Manama, which does reflect how positive the relationships of the GCC states with other countries around the globe are, and shows that how important the region is.
Al Mardi denounced the continuous Iranian intervention in the internal affairs of the GCC countries, and slammed Iran's irresponsible statements.
He said the joint GCC military action has proved that it is strong, stressing that the GCC states do not meddle in the domestic affairs of other countries, but shall not keep silent when their security and the region's become at stake.
malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com

• Bahrain