GCC Seeks All-Out Efforts To Resolve Syrian Crisis
By Arab News
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers yesterday emphasized the need for finding a quick solution to end the bloodbath in Syria.
“The most important issue that concerns the council is the worsening situation in Syria. It’s important that the GCC utilizes its potentials to achieve a quick solution to this crisis,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah in his opening address at a meeting.
Prince Abdul Aziz stressed the Kingdom’s stand of enabling the Syrian people to defend themselves by providing them with weapons to confront Bashar Assad’s military machinery that has been causing deaths and destruction.
The ministers rebuked Iran’s irresponsible action by distorting the speech of Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi at the NAM summit in Tehran as it removed the reference of Syria and replaced it with Bahrain.
The meeting also denounced Tehran’s continuous interference in the internal affairs of GCC countries and urged Iran to stop its hostile policies and provocative statements in order to strengthen bilateral ties. The GCC reiterated its deep concern over Iran’s nuclear program and asked it to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The ministers gave the GCC Secretariat more time to study member countries’ opinion on the proposed Gulf Union. It welcomed a proposal made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah during the Makkah summit to establish a center in Riyadh to promote dialogue between Muslim religious sects.
The ministers approved the bylaw of the GCC Stat and guidelines of the population strategy and decided to present them to GCC leaders for approval. A Gulf network will be set up in Oman to ensure the quality of higher education in the member countries.
