Saturday, June 17, 2006

GCC Ports Plan to Avert Fallout of Iran Standoff

Adnkronos International:
The six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have agreed to link all GCC ports to guarantee the smooth flow of goods should the nuclear stand off between neighbouring Iran and the West escalate, the local daily Gulf News reports. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the UAE minister of governmental sector development, said they discussed alternative ports in the case of a crisis or emergency in the Gulf. "There are three concerned technical committees [land, sea, and air transport] to study the issue." READ MORE

Mohammad Obaid Al Mazroui, assistant undersecretary at the GCC General Secretariat, said, they agreed to link all GCC ports, as the two access points Hormuz and Bab Al Mandab straits might be affected by current political or security crisis.

He said they were also establishing a joint company to organise the linking of the ports.