Kuwait"s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said Sunday that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) "is one of the most important regional organizations, which bases its activities on common goals aimed at achieving greater security, stability and prosperity for the countries and the peoples of the world." He made these remarks in an exclusive interview with Chairman and Director General of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah, on the occasion of the 30th Summit of GCC Leaders, which will kick off here on Monday. Commenting on the relationship between the GCC and regional and international organizations, Sheikh Sabah said that one of the Council"s goals was to cooperate with similar regional organizations in programs and placing visions. "There is an increasing importance for the GCC states to achieve regional security and stability, where the immense natural resources that Almighty Allah has bestowed (on the GCC countries) and the efficiency of the member states in activating global economy has made international and regional organizations seek cooperation with the GCC countries," the Emir said. Asked to evaluate the role of the GCC in tackling political challenges in the Gulf and the Middle East in the 30 years since its establishment, Sheikh Sabah said that one of the main reasons why this regional organization was established "was and still is to bring political security and stability to the region, its countries and its people." He affirmed the "clear" role of the GCC in the Middle East peace process, such that a complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories would be guaranteed alongside the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. This role, he said, was evident through the Arab peace initiative that was approved by the Arab Summit in Beirut and the "constant" role that the GCC played to create harmony between the Palestinians so that they may overcome the divisions that had recently surfaced at the home front.
