DOHA: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia yesterday urged his fellow Gulf leaders to stand up to Iran, as Yemeni rebels backed by Tehran bombarded a Saudi border city.
Salman’s call came at a summit of Gulf monarchs in Riyadh also attended by French President Francois Hollande, who said his country was “by the side” of the Gulf’s Arab nations, reports AFP.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit came with international concern mounting over the impact on civilians of Saudi-led air strikes targeting Yemeni rebels.
In a clear reference to Iran, King Salman stressed the need to confront an external threat that “aims to expand control and impose its hegemony”, risking regional stability and creating “sectarian sedition”.
Hollande, the first Western leader to attend a GCC summit, said France shared the dangers facing the region and he had come “to affirm the commitment of France to be by your side”.
Meanwhile, QNA reported that Qatar’s Foreign Minister, H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, told reporters in Riyadh at the end of the GCC Summit (15th consultative meeting of GCC leaders), which was presided over by Emir, H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, that GCC leaders discussed the crises in Middle East and issues related to international peace and security.
Addressing a joint press conference with GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdullateef Al Zayani, Al Attiyah said the consultative meeting reviewed the latest developments in Yemen in view of the results of Decisive Storm, adding that the meeting called for strengthening the legitimate government and resumption of the political process in Yemen in accordance with the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The meeting also discussed the Iranian nuclear issue, said the FM, adding that the leaders affirmed the position of the GCC states, which called for reaching a comprehensive final agreement that would guarantee that the Iranian nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes while ensuring the right of countries in the region to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Hollande told the summit that France supported coalition efforts “to ensure the stability of Yemen”, and backed Saudi Arabia’s position that talks between Yemen’s political forces must be held in Riyadh.
The Houthis reject such a proposal and Iran has called for negotiations at a neutral location.
The leaders at the summit welcomed Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi’s decision to convene on May 17 in Riyadh a congress for “all the Yemeni parties who support the legitimacy, security and stability of Yemen”. Al Attiyah said this was the first time a date had been mentioned for the proposed talks.
THE PENINSULA
