Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States, and Adel bin Ahmad Al-Jubeir, Minister of Foreign Affairs, held here yesterday a press conference on the sidelines of the 16th GCC consultative meeting. The GCC Secretary General has lauded the GCC leaders' participation in the consultative meeting under chairmanship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is chairman of the GCC current session. Al-Zayani pointed out that the GCC leaders discussed and reviewed issues pertaining to enhance integration among the GCC countries in various fields. He added that the GCC consultative meeting also discussed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' vision regarding enhancing the GCC joint action where the ministerial council agreed recommendations regarding completion of its implementation during 2016. "The GCC leaders approved formation of high-level commission among the member states named "Commission of Economic and Developmental Affairs" in order to enhance integration and coordination among the GCC countries in all economic and development fields and accelerate the pace of joint action," AL-Zayani added. He added that the GCC leaders approved a regulation of Economic Judiciary Commission as mentioned in the economic agreement among the GCC states in the interest of the GCC citizens, pointing out that the leaders also agreed holding a joint regular meeting for the GCC defense, interior and foreign ministers for coordinating policies among the GCC states. AL-Zayani has hailed wise resolutions of the GCC leaders which will have positive impact on the GCC march. For his part, Adel bin Ahmad Al-Jubeir, Minister of Foreign Affairs, talked about ongoing negotiations in Kuwait, pointing out that the negotiations are being held on the basis of the GCC initiative, outputs of the national dialogue and decision no. 2216 of the Security Council. "There are several paths have been agreed upon with respect to withdrawals, delivery of arms and state institutions in Yemen. There are existing negotiations between the concerned parties," Al-Jubeir added. He hoped to achieve further progress in Yemen, pointing out that the Kingdom is working to provide border area for entering humanitarian aid and medicines to Yemen. "From time to time, there are breaches of ceasefire, but we have to focus on finding a political solution to the Yemeni crisis leading to more security, stability and prosperity that serve everyone in the region," Al-Jubeir said, disclosing the Kingdom's support for the ongoing negotiations in Kuwait. He stated that the economic and development affairs commission approved by the GCC leaders will be high and have powers for providing solutions, stressing that this commission aims to apply economic integration among the GCC countries. "In the past, several and different ministries dealt with the economic and financial issues in order to submit them to relevant committees for the leaders. This commission represents a quantum leap regarding the economic and financial issues among the GCC states," Al-Jubeir added. Regarding the Israeli president's remarks about the Arab peace initiative, the minister of foreign affairs said: "the current peace initiative is emphasized by all Arab summits with knowledge of Israelis. While the Israeli president declared readiness to discuss the peace process, this opens up a line of talks with the Palestinian side in order to reach a peaceful solution based the Arab peace initiative." He added that the time is early to evaluate seriousness of the Israeli side to start negotiations based on the Arab peace initiative. "When the Israeli prime minister talked about the initiative, he was talking about some of provisions which are positive in his viewpoint, but he did not accept the Arab initiative as published in the media. But what is more important is to resume negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. These efforts were sponsored by the United States and so-called Quartet while the Israelis were rejecting these negotiations. Their stance may change with the Palestinian side in order to reach a solution of this conflict based on the Arab peace initiative with aim of establishment of Palestinian state with its capital in East Al-Quds," Al-Jubeir said. With regard to the Libyan affairs, the minister of foreign affairs explained that there is an international consensus that the unity government is the legitimate side in Libya. "There is a need that the House of Representatives is to ratify this government. The international community is waiting this matter," he added. "There are differences among the Libyan parties concerning ratification of this government. There are international attempts and efforts in order to reach convergence between the parties and various leaders in Libya to implement the agreement," he added. With regard to host Libyan groups and holding dialogues, Al-Jubeir added that these ideas are on the table. "We do not take any decision in this matter. The consultations are still existing among the Kingdom, the Arab nations and the international community to identify and find out what are the best means to push the process of reconciliation in Libya," he added. On the Russian guarantees for non-Iranian interference in the Gulf internal affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs explained that Russia has nothing to do with that, however it has expressed the hope that there would be relations between the GCC member states and Iran, based on the principle of good neighborliness and non-interference in the affairs of others, while the Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council member states hope that Iran will stop to interfere in the affairs of the region, through supporting of terrorism and planting terrorist cells, in the region and the dissemination of sectarian militias, in the Arab countries, undermine security and stability, in its countries. "This is our problem with Iran and when they stop this, adjust their policies and adhere to the principle of good neighborliness and non-interference in the affairs of others, the door will be open to build better relations with them, being a neighboring Islamic state, but we cannot have normal relations with a state that has no goal but to destroy us, plant cells and smuggle explosives into our allies lands, in order to destabilize the region, in aggressive acts which are not acts of good neighborliness, the minister added, stressing that the principle is easy for Iran if it adhered to international laws and the principle of good neighborliness, he stated. With regard to the timing and date of the sixteenth consultative meeting in the Kingdom and topics discussed which are related to situation, in the region, the minister of foreign affairs explained that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, through its present, past and in the future as well as in its security, stability and common prosperity of the region, have proved to be sister countries and source for stability and security of the region, emphasizing that the solidarity between these countries will serve the security and stability of all, he stressed. "Such efforts have opened the way to intensify mutual cooperation and the establishment of a body for economic and development affairs through which mechanisms will accelerate the work, to apply economic integration between the GCC countries and to contribute to greater prosperity, he emphasized. On the Saudi role in the establishment of peace, in Yemen, Al-Jubeir said that Saudi efforts, in Yemen, have begun several years ago, and have the conviction that the solution, in Yemen must be peacefully based on Security Council resolution no. 2216 and that the national dialogue and the Yemeni Gulf sponsored initiative. The Saudi support for Yemeni different spectra for the application of these principles, also worked in coordination with other countries, whether "Britain or America," and the Group of 18 and everyone is hoping to reach a peaceful solution, in Yemen, today before tomorrow and continuing these efforts and intense, he commented. The cooperation between the United States and Britain based on this side, which does not forget the efforts made by the GCC countries to support peace, in Yemen, particularly by the State of Kuwait, which recently hosted the Yemeni dialogue meetings and efforts being made by everyone, he remarked. On the ground intervention, in Syria, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that this issue exists at any time but need a UN resolution, explaining that the Kingdom since years ago, believes that the ground intervention is an inevitable solution to the Syrian tragedy, noting that the Kingdom is ready to send international ground forces, led by the United States and coalition countries, still exist, was announced a year ago, before creation of the Alliance, he pointed out. On the humanitarian aid, Al-Jubeir said that the kingdom is still providing humanitarian aid to all Syrian conflict zones and we hope that we get for organizing it by the United Nations for the introduction of aid but there is procrastination by the Syrian regime, which led to prevent the entry of some aid to Syrian conflict zones, a fact that violates the international regulations, in this regard, and we call upon the international community to help us in that direction and effort with the Russian regime is still existing and a number of countries. For his part, the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Mayan welcomed the decision to create an economic development body, whose members are high-level mission to overcome all the obstacles, in the process of economic integration. The single currency is part of the economic integration that we seek, he said, adding that the future projects, visions for many countries though each country has its economic vision, the Kingdom has 2030 Vision and this body will consider the integration of these visions, in order to be integrated plan, he concluded.
