DOHA: During GCC Day celebrations that concluded here yesterday, Foreign Minister,
H E Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah said the GCC leaders’ keenness to observe the “GCC Day” shows their true desire to uphold the value of the GCC citizens and emphasize the citizens’ right to effective participation in public affairs.
The Foreign Minister stressed that the Gulf Cooperation Council had achieved many of the desired objectives for their citizens in all domains: economic, security, political, financial, cultural and social, reported QNA.
Al Attiyah addressed an event as part of the “GCC Day” entitled “The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf - the Role and Achievements” at Qatar University in presence of QU President Dr Sheikha bint Abdullah Al Misned and H E the GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
The Foreign Minister noted that in the field of development and the on the basis of the Council’s vision to achieve sustainable development for all our peoples, the GCC countries developed advanced steps in their national development programs and strengthened their regional and global partnerships.
“Today, we feel relieved after the successes that have been achieved at national levels and foreign partnerships that have been established, based on the frameworks and priorities approved by that United Nations aiming at achieving human, economic, social and environmental development and others,” the Minister said.
In the economic sphere, the Foreign Minister pointed out that the Council has made several strategic objectives in the financial, commercial, transportation, customs and electrical cooperation and many other areas, along with full equality among GCC citizens in many areas, whether commercial or others.
In the political field, the Foreign Minister said that homogeneity between member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council contributed enabled the Council to adopt common positions towards political issues, and policies that are based on the principles of good neighbourliness and non-interference in internal affairs, and respect the sovereignty of each state, and also to adopt the principle of peaceful dialogue as a means to settle disputes and provide and environment that is based on tolerance, moderation, diversity and acceptance of others, which gave the GCC a great deal of credibility as an active regional organisation in the region and in the world.
The GCC became a main factor to support the Arab, Islamic and global issues in international fora, particularly the Palestinian issue, the minister said, pointing out that in the fight against terrorism, the GCC countries have been able to successfully confront the unfair attack that tried to link between Islam and terrorism.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister underlined that the GCC countries’ support for their right to obtain nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. However, they have firm stand on making the Middle East a nuclear-weapon-free zone.
In this context, he pointed out that the GCC countries have been holding many strategic dialogues with regional countries and organizations in order to strengthen relations with them, and open up new prospects for the expansion of the interests of the GCC countries at all levels.
the Foreign Minister highlighted the commitment of the GCC countries to promote the protection of human rights at the national level through the collective action to defend the individual and collective rights and the promotion of human rights in the world.
Concluding, the Foreign Minister expressed hope that the GCC countries will continue their blessed progress to achieve the aspirations of the GCC citizens, starting from cooperation and integration up to reach the desired union in all fields.
The Peninsula
