Major events that occurred in the Gulf region in 2008 By Eman Al-Houti KUWAIT, Dec 27 (KUNA) -- The Gulf region witnessed many important political, social and economic events during 2008, the most important of which was the drop in oil prices and the impact that had on countries in the area.
Also, the security pact signed between Baghdad and Washington was of major importance, not forgetting the developments pertaining to the Iranian nuclear dossier.
The following are some of the major events that occurred in the Gulf this year: GCC Foreign affairs ==================.
-- March 1: GCC foreign ministers hold their 106th meeting in Riyadh and discuss developments in Lebanon and Israeli aggression on Palestinian in Gaza Strip.
-- June 9: GCC foreign ministers hold their 107th meeting in Jeddah and express concern over the boost in relations between the EU and Israel.
-- Sept 3: GCC foreign ministers hold their 108th meeting in Jeddah and discuss the issue of the three UAE islands occupied by Iran, as well as the Palestinian crisis, the Arab-Israeli conflict, developments in Lebanon and the formation of a national unity government, and the situations in Iraq, Sudan and Somalia.
-- Nov 25: GCC foreign ministers hold their 109th meeting in Oman to prepare for the 29th Summit of GCC Leaders.
GCC defense affairs ==================.
-- May 5: GCC defense ministers deliberate, at a meeting in Doha, over developing military cooperation and coordination.
-- Nov 2: During their sixth meeting in Doha, the defense ministers agree to boost joint military activities.
GCC interior affairs ====================.
-- May 14: GCC interior ministers hold their ninth meeting in Doha, and discuss cooperation and the Gulf counter-terrorism agreement.
-- Nov 6: The 27th meeting of GCC interior ministers is held in Doha, and Saudi Arabia joins the Gulf Criminal Information for Drug Combat Center.
GCC economy ==========.
-- May 10: GCC finance and economy ministers hold their 76th meeting in Doha to follow-up on economic integration matters.
-- Sept 17: GCC finance and economy ministers hold their 77th meeting in Jeddah, and approve the establishment and by-laws of the Monetary Union.
-- Nov 25: GCC finance and economy ministers hold their 78th meeting in Muscat and discuss the economic and developmental aspects of integration.
Impact of global economic crisis on GCC ======================================.
GCC states faced great economic challenges in 2008, given the drop in oil prices and the free-fall in indices of Gulf stock markets. The UAE injected USD 7.32 billion into its banking system. Saudi Arabia, in turn, injected USD 2.3 billion. Meanwhile, Qatar pumped USD 3.5 billion into its financial system, while Bahrain made deposits in local banks with shortage in liquidity.
-- Iran ===.
-- Jan 11: IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei visits Iran and discusses with President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Gholam Reza Aghazadeh means to cooperate.
-- Jan 11: US President George W. Bush visits the Middle East and discusses a plan for tackling the Iranian security issue should efforts fail to suspend the Persian state's nuclear program, and means to limit Iran's threat to the Gulf's security.
-- Jan 12: The Iranian president calls on the IAEA to be unbiased and to work independently of international pressure.
-- Jan 14: The IAEA gives Iran four weeks to resolve its pending nuclear issues.
-- Feb 22: ElBaradei, in a report to the IAEA, says good progress has been made over clarifying issues pertaining to the Iranian nuclear program.
-- March 4: UN Security Council approves a new round of sanctions against Iran.
-- May 19: ElBaradei says the IAEA has no proof that Iran possesses a nuclear bomb.
-- May 27: The IAEA, in a report, stresses that Iran must present fundamental information about its nuclear program to convince the public that its program is for peaceful purposes.
-- April 4: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says uranium-enrichment is non-negotiable.
-- June 19: Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki expresses Iran's willingness to negotiate over economic incentive proposed to limit the Persian state's nuclear ambitions.
-- June 30: The US says it will not allow Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.
-- July 3: The US president says the military option is open for resolving the nuclear crises in North Korean and Iran, but notes that the diplomatic track is preferable.
-- July 5: Iran threatens to block the Strait of Hormuz is its interests are endangered.
-- July 12: Iran threatens to attack 32 US bases and Israel if it is attack by the US or Israel.
-- July 26: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his country has 5, 000-6,000 centrifuges used for uranium-enrichment.
Iraq ===.
-- March 18: The national conciliation conference is held in Iraq, with the participation of the 500 representatives of political factions. The Sadrist movement boycotts the meetings, in which the participants call for denouncing all forms of extremism and terrorism.
-- April 22: Kuwait hosts the Third Expanded Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of States Neighboring Iraq, and the final communique expresses support for the Iraqi government's efforts to improve security and boost democracy.
-- May 29: The Swedish capital, Stockholm, hosts the second conference of the International Compact with Iraq, with the participation of 90 countries.
-- Sept 4: Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari receives the credentials of UAE Ambassador Abdullah Al-Shihhi.
-- Oct 10: Iraqi Premier Nouri Al-Maliki says the US has made compromises regarding the Iraq-US security pact in order to guarantee the rights if Iraqis.
-- Oct 16: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani received the credentials of Bahraini Ambassador Salah Al-Maliki.
-- Oct 22: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani receives the credentials of Kuwaiti Ambassador Ali Al-Momen.
-- Oct 28: The Iraqi cabinet approves necessary amendments to the draft of the security pact with the US, and the government of the Kurdistan region expresses support for the pact.
-- Nov 6: Washington approves some of the Iraqi amendments to the security pact and rejects others.
-- Nov 14: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani calls on the US president to accept the Iraqi amendments to the security pact.
-- Nov 16: The Iraqi government approves the security pact with the US in an extraordinary session.
-- Nov 27: The Iraqi parliament endorses the Us security pact, which stipulated the complete withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by December 31, 2011. (end) eh.maa.lm.ema