GCC toughens Syria stance

Foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) renewed their call Tuesday to take strong, “deterrent action” against Bashar Assad’s regime to stop the genocide against innocent Syrians, including women and children.
The foreign ministers also called on the UN to “intervene effectively and decisively and take urgent measures” to protect life and property of civilians in the war-torn country.
Chairing the 130th GCC ministerial meeting, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, urged “the UN to act immediately to protect Syrians and help them defend themselves against the brutal regime.”
Prince Saud Al-Faisal, minister of foreign affairs, led the Saudi delegation to the meeting at the GCC General Secretariat. The meeting also discussed several key regional issues, including Palestine, Iran, Geneva talks, Yemen and topics related to the Horn of Africa countries, said a statement released after the meeting.
Abdullatif Al-Zayani, GCC secretary-general, attended the meeting together with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE minister of foreign affairs, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Bahraini minister of foreign affairs, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Omani foreign minister, and Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah, Qatari minister of foreign affairs.
The GCC ministerial council condemned the recent terrorist bombing in Bahrain, which killed and injured several innocent people.
The council’s statement also stressed the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice, affirming solidarity with Bahrain’s cabinet decision, which listed a number of groups as terrorist organizations.
Al-Zayani condemned the terrorist attack carried out by a group of terrorists in southwestern China. He described the incident as “a blatant crime that contradicts humanitarian values and principles.”
The GCC foreign ministers unanimously condemned the Syrian regime and also reiterated their support for the Palestinian cause.
They stressed the fact that the peace process should help the Palestinians regain their legitimate rights, including the establishment of an independent state.
In his opening address, Al-Sabah said “the Gulf states find themselves confronting a painful situation in Syria as a result of bloodshed continuing for the third consecutive year.”
The GCC statement also called for sending the “perpetrators of such crimes” to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and ensuring delivery of humanitarian aid to Syrians in besieged areas. To this end, he recalled the role of the Gulf countries, which made pledges for aid and contributions for Syria when Kuwait hosted the donor conference last Jan. He pointed out that the total pledge made during the Kuwait conference exceeded $2.5 billion.
The statement said that the GCC member states had hoped that negotiations on Syria during the Geneva II could have marked an initial step toward a political settlement to the current situation in Syria.
The GCC ministers underlined the need to peaceful settlement to the conflict based on the two-state theory to ensure the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The Kuwaiti foreign minister welcomed the provisional nuclear agreement signed recently between Iran and P5+1 group. He expressed hope that the agreement would pave the way for a comprehensive and final agreement with Iran. Al-Sabah urged Iran to show full commitment to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
He recalled the recent visit of the GCC delegation to Yemen to participate in the closing ceremony of the national dialogue. He welcomed the UN Security Council’s resolution no. 2140/2014, which reflected the international community’s support to political transition in Yemen and to people demands of change and stability.
He also appreciated the Yemeni government’s implementation of the GCC-brokered power transition agreement.
He said that a GCC delegation had recently visited Djibouti to express Gulf countries’ support for the country and the Horn of Africa. The GCC ministers appreciated the role of Djibouti in maintaining regional peace and security.