Top EU official briefs GCC ambassadors on Iran nuclear deal

BRUSSELS, July 16 (KUNA) -- Deputy Secretary General of the EU foreign service, known as the European External Action Service (EEAS), Helga Maria Schmid, met the ambassadors of the 6-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Brussels on Thursday and briefed them about the comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear programme announced in Vienna on Tuesday.
According to EU sources, Schmid assured the Gulf envoys that the EU takes the concerns of some Gulf states about the nuclear deal very seriously.
She argued however that the alternative to an agreement would have been an arms race in the Middle East region.
Schmid also underlined that neither the US nor the EU is disengaging with the Gulf countries and that the EU works very closely with the GCC countries.
She also encouraged Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to reach out to its Arab Gulf neighbours and to promote ties with them in order to lower tensions in the region , said the sources speaking on condition of anonymity.
Analysts here note that although the international talks on the Iranian nuclear issue were led by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, the main brain behind the agreement is Helga Schmid an experienced German diplomat.
GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.(end) nk.tg