ATIYYAH SAID THE POLITICAL CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL CHANGES WITNESSED BY THE GCC COUNTRIES IN THE LAST DECADE STAND AS A WITNESS FOR THE ON-GOING POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THESE COUNTRIES. HE NOTED THAT THE GCC COUNTRIES HAVE MADE BIG STRIDES IN THE FIELD OF INTEGRATION, AND HAVE BEEN ADOPTING A REALISTIC AND FLEXIBLE POLICIES. ON THE EFFORTS OF THE GCC TO REALIZE REGIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY, AL-ATIYYAH CONFIRMED THE KEENNESS OF THE GCC COUNTRIES ON ENHANCING THE PILLARS OF SECURITY AND STABILITY IN IRAQ. AS REGARDS MAKKAH AGREEMENT SIGNED BY THE PALESTINIAN LEADERS, HE HOPED THAT IT WOULD LEAD TO THE FORMATION OF A NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT AND PUT AN END TO ALL FORMS OF TENSION AND VIOLENCE AS WELL AS ENABLING THE PALESTINIANS TO ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT STATE BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY. COMMENTING ON THE SITUATION IN LEBANON, HE HOPED THAT THE LEBANESE WOULD WORK COLLECTIVELY TO ENSURE SECURITY AND STABILITY. AL-ATIYYAH SAID THE SECURITY PHILOSOPHY OF THE GCC IS A DEFENSIVE AND PREVENTIVE ONE. 'WE ARE KEEN ON THE CONTAINMENT OF DANGERS AND THREATS BY ALL POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC MEANS, AND WE HAVE NO INTENTION TO ACQUIRE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, BUT WE ARE KEEN ON DIALOGUE AND ADHERENCE TO THE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD NEIGHBORING RELATIONSHIPS, AND SETTLEMENT OF REGIONAL PROBLEMS, INCLUDING THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR ISSUE, THROUGH PEACEFUL MEANS.
