Gulf summit to address regional challenges

Abdullatif Al-Zayani

RIYADH/MANAMA: The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit will open in Bahrain on Tuesday with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and British Prime Minister Theresa May attending the key regional conference.
Key issues like regional security, combating terrorism, potential challenges in the Gulf region and bolstering pan-GCC integration and joint action to further enhance regional cooperation are likely to to be the main topics.
King Salman, who arrived Monday in Qatar, the second stop on an official tour of the Gulf countries, starting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will go to Manama and lead the Saudi delegation to the 37th GCC Summit. Besides the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, the King will also visit Kuwait. 
Earlier, a statement released by the Royal Court confirmed that the king would attend the summit, adding that during his official tour he will meet with GCC leaders to review relations and discuss ways of further enhancing them in all fields.
Confirming a statement by Edwin Samuel, the UK government spokesperson in the Middle East and North Africa, a British Embassy spokesperson here on Monday told Arab News that British Prime Minister Theresa May will attend the two-day summit.
In a statement, Samuel said that May’s decision to make her first regional visit to the GCC and take part in the 37th GCC summit sends a strong message that the United Kingdom has not withdrawn from the world, particularly the Gulf region. “It proves that the UK will strengthen relations with its allies and partners,” the statement said.
May will become the first British leader and the first woman to attend a GCC summit.
In a remarks on Sunday, she said that the UK must seek to transform the way it does business with the region. “I hope my visit will herald the start of a new chapter on relations between the United Kingdom and the Gulf states, a true strategic partnership that enables us to together seize the opportunities ahead and ensure the security and prosperity of our people,” May was quoted as saying.
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Abdullatif Al-Zayani has meanwhile stressed that the summit is an opportunity for leaders of the GCC countries to hold consultations and exchange opinions about the ongoing events and developments in the region.
In an interview Sunday with Qatari daily Al-Sharq, Al-Zayani said that the rapid developments witnessed by the region require more coordination, consultation and integration among GCC countries, in order to protect its achievements and prosperity.
He noted that the GCC countries seek to genuinely contribute to the efforts to find peaceful political solutions to all regional crises and mitigate their repercussions, adding that the consequences of the crises will not be felt by the GCC states alone, but will affect regional and international security and peace.
Regarding the GCC economy, Al-Zayani said that the achievements in this important area prove that the GCC common market, which was established in 2008, was an excellent move that benefited all.
He pointed to the customs union, which enabled the GCC countries to increase the volume of trade from $20 billion in 2003 to $140 billion in 2015, and said that the Economic and Development Affairs Authority and the Judicial Economic Authority will play prominent roles in consolidating economic cooperation and integration among GCC countries, and will boost GCC citizens’ gains from the common market.
Regarding interventions in the internal affairs of the GCC, the secretary-general said the GCC states are aware of the objectives of those seeking to interfere in their internal affairs, which are to destabilize their stability and undermine their cohesion and solidarity, adding that the security cooperation among the GCC countries is the way to meet this challenge and thwart its objectives.
He warned that terrorism is an alien phenomenon “to our peaceful societies and contrary to our tolerant Islamic faith.”
Al-Zayani underlined the GCC countries’ great efforts to fight terrorism militarily, economically and socially, saying that there are joint cooperation agreements and strategies between GCC states to combat terrorism, and that the security services exert intensive efforts to combat terrorist organizations.
Regarding Arab political differences, the GCC secretary-general told Al Sharq newspaper that the Gulf countries have always stressed that they are part of the joint Arab action and coordination, cooperation and integration among them serve the lofty goals of the Arab nation and is in line with the Charter of the Arab League, which calls for closer union and stronger bonds to serve Arab and Islamic issues.
Therefore, the GCC states make every effort to support joint Arab action in various fields, and contribute to settling Arab disputes and differences.
On Yemen, Al-Zayani said that the GCC states are fully aware that the stability and security of Yemen are important for the security and stability of the GCC, and therefore, ever since the beginning of the political crisis in Yemen in 2011, the GCC launched an initiative that contributed to a breakthrough in the Yemeni crisis at that time.
However, the coup of the Houthis and troops loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh against the legitimate Yemeni government complicated the crisis, he added.
Al-Zayani said that in response to the invitation of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the “Operation Decisive Storm” and later “Renewal of Hope Operation” were launched in order to restore the legitimate authority and avoid the scourge of war.
He stressed the importance of reaching a peaceful political solution to the crisis in Yemen and said that the GCC states support international efforts in this regard, and the efforts of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed to reach the desired solution and peace, and to begin the reconstruction process.
Al Zayani added that the GCC attaches great importance to Yemen, which is a neighbor, a brother and an active member in many GCC organizations and institutions in various fields, such as education, health, media, youth and others.
Regarding the Syrian crisis, Al-Zayani said that what is happening in Syria is a painful tragedy. The GCC countries’ principled stance has remained unchanged. It is one that wishes to put an end to the bloodshed and supports a peaceful solution with the Geneva 1 agreement as the basis for any political solution that preserves Syria’s unity, sovereignty and independence and achieves the aspirations of the Syrian people.
GCC plays multiple political and diplomatic roles in this regard, he added.
Abdulmalik bin Abdullah Al-Ashaikh, Saudi Ambassador to Bahrain, said that the summit will set the guidelines to a new phase of the Gulf states’ cooperation in several fields, including politics, defense, security and economy. “The summit will reach more results that will boost the joint Arabian Gulf work in the political, defense, security, economic, and social aspects to satisfy the aspirations and ambitions of the GCC people,” he said.
The current challenges surrounding the GCC countries and successive developments require constant consultation, exchange of visions and ideas regarding how to tackle them, he added.
The summit is set to discuss security in the region as one of the main current challenges. It will discuss possible joint efforts to combat terrorism.