RIYADH — The Gulf Cooperation Council has always adhered to international laws and is one of the strongest advocates of respecting national sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs of other countries unlike Iran, said the GCC chief on Saturday. He added that Iran, in defiance of all international laws, is destabilizing the region with its intervention in internal matters of other countries. GCC Secretary-General Nayef Al-Hajraf made the remarks during the eleventh session of the Gulf Research Forum, which was organized remotely by the Gulf Research Center and the University of Cambridge, on Saturday. Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and its support for militias, must also be included in ongoing talks in Vienna and they should not be limited to restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action related to the Iranian nuclear program, the GCC chief said. He pointed out that the GCC played an important role in achieving stability and maintaining peace and security in the region and the world as it engaged constructively during the past 40 years with the international community, fulfilling its obligations in the fight against terrorism. The council also adopted a highly responsible and balanced energy policy that takes into account the interests of both producers and consumers and responded to the necessary humanitarian and development appeals, Al-Hajraf added. He affirmed the determination of the GCC states to continue joint efforts to confront regional challenges and protect national interests, and to continue joint efforts in implementing plans for a better future for the GCC states and the entire region. The GGC chief stressed that the bloc seeks to implement plans that focus on human capital development, economic diversification, achieving good living standards and comprehensive development of infrastructure to support development plans. He pointed out that despite the challenges during the past 40 years, the council has made a number of achievements, adding that the future holds new and real challenges facing the Gulf region in addition to the challenges posed by the corona pandemic. The security of the region is linked to the security of the world, which needs to be highlighted, and the Gulf Cooperation Council continues its commitment to maintaining and strengthening regional security, Al-Hajraf remarked. He pointed out that the year 2020 changed the course of life, as the world after the pandemic will not be the same as the world before it, which requires teamwork to face new and unprecedented challenges in the coming years.
