MANAMA, Dec 7 (KUNA) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a speech to the final session of the 37th GCC Summit in Manama. GCC leaders, including His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, were among the attendees.
- British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday conveyed a strong forceful message on the UK's commitment to security in the Gulf, reiterating the long time-tested relations with the region, dating back to more than 200 years.
"Gulf security is our security," she told the final session of the 37th GCC Summit in Manama, Bahrain.
"Extremists plotting terror attacks here in this region are not only targeting the Gulf but, as we have seen, targeting the streets of Europe too," she said.
May noted that the battle against the so-called Islamic State (IS/Daesh) in Iraq and Syria is making progress, and in light of the current operations in Mosul, the "days of Daesh as an occupying force are numbered." She said that she was very grateful for the special honor of addressing the GCC leaders, saying that the two sides have "a rich history on which to build. From the very first treaties, in the mid-17th century." On Iran, the British Premier assured the leaders that the UK is "clear-eyed about the threat that Iran poses to the Gulf and the wider Middle East.
"The UK is fully committed to our strategic partnership with the Gulf and working with you to counter that threat," she said.
Referring to the nuclear deal between Tehran and the world power (5+1 group) said: "That was vitally important for regional security. But we must also work together to push back against Iran's aggressive regional actions, whether in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Syria or in the Gulf itself." Cooperation on counter-terrorism between the two sides has led to "foiling terrorist plots and a range of threats against citizens in all our countries. For example, intelligence we have received in the past from Saudi Arabia has saved potentially hundreds of lives in the UK," she said.
The UK stands here today seeking not just to reaffirm a relationship that is of great historic value but to renew a partnership that is absolutely fundamental to our shared future, May pointed out.
As part of a renewed partnership Britain is seeking forge with the bloc, the UK "will make a more permanent and more enduring commitment to the long-term security of the Gulf," she said.
Referring to bilateral economic relations, the Premier said: "For just as Gulf security is our security, so your prosperity is also our prosperity." She explained that the Gulf is already a special market for her country. Last year alone, trade between the UK and GCC was worth more than 30 billion Sterling. She also highlighted the huge Gulf investments in the UK "helping to regenerate cities from Aberdeen to Teesside, and from Manchester to London." "I am determined that we should do everything possible to build on this and elevate our trade and investment to an even more ambitious level," she said.
May referred to the Joint Working Group the two sides agreed on Tuesday to set up, to examine how the two sides "unblock remaining barriers to trade and take steps to further liberalise our economies for the benefit of our mutual prosperity. ' The Prime Minister said that they have just reached a new agreement with Saudi Arabia to allow British businesses to obtain 5-year multiple entry visas for the first time, creating new opportunities for more bilateral business.
In was also agreed that in March 2017, the UK will host an event on Gulf national transformation and economic diversification plans at the Mansion House - for centuries, a home of finance and trade at the heart of the City of London.
She also confirmed that the UK will take part in Dubai's "Expo 2020" continuing the tradition started in Britain with The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in Hyde Park in 1851.
In addition, May said she wanted today's Manama talks at official level to pave the way for an ambitious trade arrangement for when the UK has left the EU. Meanwhile, May is looking forward to the next chapter of the Manama Dialogue run by the UK's International Institute for Strategic Studies which the Foreign Secretary will attend later this week. "This vital strategic relationship between the UK and the Gulf - a partnership steeped in so much history and so full of potential for our future - now demands even more concentrated efforts," she said.
In the face of some of the greatest challenges to our security and our prosperity, we will succeed together. We will succeed through our continued commitment to the rules-based order on which our prosperity has been built. And we will succeed by deepening our security cooperation, expanding our trade and working harder than ever to build economies and societies that work for everyone," she concluded. (end) msa