GCC calls on Tehran to Enforce Stability, Security in Gulf Region

Arab Times:

A conference on Nato and the Greater Middle East wrapped up deliberations here on Sunday focusing on regional security issues, in addition to the role of Nato in enhancing security in the Gulf region. The final session of the conference focused on the Gulf-Iranian relations, with speakers demanding that Tehran works on enforcing stability in the region. READ MORE

Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), told the conferees the issue of Iran and the Gulf was a current priority because it was directly linked to regional security. He called on both sides to think about practical measures to realizing security without interference in internal affairs of each others. But Al-Attiyah pointed out there were political problems between Iran and the GCC, foremost Tehran’s occupation of three islands of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a GCC member, and Iran’s rejection to any settlement proposed by the UAE.

Iran, he added, was not responding to the GCC calls to solve the occupation issue peacefully. Al-Attiyah asserted the nuclear weapons in the region would trigger an unjustified nuclear race thus undermine mutual confidence. The GCC and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), said Al-Attiyah, were sharing the same concerns in the Gulf region. The GCC chief called on Iran to help the political process in Iraq, voicing concern on Iran’s regional ambitions. Meanwhile, First Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Nawwaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah returned to Kuwait after chairing his country’s delegation to the 24th meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Interior ministers in Bahrain. Speaking to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) upon arrival, Sheikh Nawaf lauded the meeting’s outcome that reached a number of important resolutions regarding joint cooperation and coordination in facing matters arising from Iraq’s situation and their affect on the region.

While noting that the future holds a great amount of development when it comes to this issue, he added that the meeting’s agenda covered all aspects of security cooperation, facilitating travels of GCC citizens between the GCC states, extraditing convicts and using the smart-card in place of passports when traveling within the GCC. Sheikh Nawaf expressed heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the meeting’s participants, especially Bahrain’s Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Sheikh Rashed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. Upon arrival, Sheikh Nawaf was received by Amiri Diwan Affairs Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Interior Ministry’s Undersecretary Lieutenant-General Nasser Al-Othman and other officials.