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22:38 GMT
JEDDAH, May 23 (KUNA) -- GCC foreign ministers formed a standing
ministerial committee Sunday tasked with implementing the Economic Treaty
among the GCC states, specifically regarding integration of stock markets,
unifying financial policies and systems as well as completing the
establishment of the common market.
The ministers, in their final communique following their 115th meeting in
this Red Sea city, noted that the committee would consist of chairmen of
boards of bodies organizing financial markets.
The meeting was chaired by Kuwait Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister
Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah.
The ministers, according to the final communique, reiterated rejection of
all forms of terrorism and extremism, praising the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) member states' measures to fighting terrorism.
They called on the UN to establish an international center with a mandate
of combating terrorism through exchange of information and expertise.
The top diplomats supported sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
over the Greater and Lesser Tonbs and Abu Moussa islands, which have been
occupied by Iran since early 1970.
They called on Iran to heed to repeated calls to solve this issue through
direct negotiations with the UAE or seek international arbitation, noted the
communique.
They said relations between the GCC and Iran were based on good
neighborliness, non-interferring in internal affairs and solving conflicts via
peaceful means.
The GCC foreign ministers welcomed all international efforts to addressing
the Iranian nuclear file peacefully and in line with international legitimacy
to ultimately clearing the Middle East region from weapons of mass destrucion
(WMD) and nuclear arms.
The ministers, however, asserted the right of countries in the region to
using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in line with international
agreements and under IAEA supervision.
On the Middle East, the foreign ministers condemned the Israeli measures to
change demographic structure of occupied Palestinian territories and the
judaizing of occupied Jerusalem.
They called on the international community to live up to its responsibility
to halting the Israeli measures, including the expansion of settlements in
occupied territories, in order to pave way for the establishment of an
independent and viable Palestinian state in accordance with relevant UN
resolutions, the land-for-peace principle, the roadmap and Arab peace
initiative.
The ministers called on the Palestinian factions to iron out their
differences and unite ranks, forming a government of national unity to enable
the Palestinian people to regain their rights and establish their independent
state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The just and comprehensive peace will be achieved when Israel withdraw from
all Arab territories it occupied in 1967, said the final communique.
On Iraq, the foreign ministers voiced respect to sovereignty, territorial
integrity and independence of Iraq. They hoped a government of national unity
would be formed rapidly.
The ministers called on Iraq to fully comply with all UN resolutions
related to the 1990 invasion, and urged the UN to continue endeavors to know
whereabouts of Kuwaiti and third-national prisoners and missings, as well as
returning the national archives of the State of Kuwait.
The GCC ministers supported the stability and security of Lebanon, voiced
solidarity with Sudan and rejected all measures by the International Criminal
Court (ICC) against Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, and called for
immediate cessation of hostilities in Somalia.
The ministers, on the other hand, extended full support to Qatar's bid to
hosting the 2022 World Cup. (pickup previous)
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