The joint communiqué issued Monday at the conclusion of the visit of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to Bahrain, described Israel's settlement policy as a “major obstacle to the Middle East peace process” and urged the European Union and the US to move to “prevent Israel from continuing its oppressive policies”. The communiqué, which followed King Abdullah's meeting with King Hamad Bin Isa Aal-Khalifa of Bahrain and went on to address Iraq, Iran's nuclear ambitions, and the situation in Darfur, said the two countries hoped for advances in Middle East peace in line with the Arab Peace Initiative. The call for “respect for Iraq's unity and sovereignty” was high on the communiqué's agenda, reiterating the need for the “preservation of its Arab and Islamic identity and non-interference in its internal affairs” while welcoming improvements in security and offering assistance to its authorities to combat terrorism. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain reiterated their commitment to GCC principles of respecting international law and peaceful resolutions to conflict, and appealed to Iran to resolve its nuclear issue through dialogue with the international community and working with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The communiqué continued by citing the “sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence” of Sudan, seeking commitment to it from the international community in order to support peace efforts and reconciliation between the Sudanese people. It also asked that the international community back proposals from the Arab League to resolve the Darfur conflict while maintaining Sudan's independence and territorial integrity. Conflicting parties in Somalia were urged by the communiqué to “set aside their differences” for “the sake of national interest and the unity of Somalia”. The communiqué rejected negotiating with pirates and said that sea piracy should be “dealt with through organized international efforts supervised by the United Nations”.
