JEDDAH, Sept 16 (KUNA) -- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers' Council on Thursday voiced backing to the peace process in Afghanistan and the vital role of some Gulf states in facilitating the evacuation operations carried out, along with the concerned countries, from that country.
This came during the final communique read out by GCC Secretary Council Nayef Al-Hajraf in the 149th session of the ministerial meeting chaired by Bahrain's Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani.
The conferees affirmed GCC solidarity with Afghan people, urging the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in providing humanitarian support to Afghanistan, the communique said.
They also extolled Qatar's contribution to re-opening Kabul airport. The council emphasized that the crisis in Afghanistan will be solved by the Afghans themselves.
The ministers called on all countries to avoid interfering into Afghanistan's domestic affairs, stressing the importance of not using the country by any international terrorist group or exploiting its territories in smuggling drugs, according to the communique.
On the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the communique confirmed that water security of Egypt and Sudan is an integrated part of the Arab national security, rejecting any action or measure taken to affect negatively those countries' rights to the Nile River.
The council renewed GCC support to all endeavors aiming to contribute to solving the dam's crisis, taking into consideration the interests of all parties.
The communique further affirmed the importance of continuing talks amongst the three countries -Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia - to reach a fair and binding deal as soon as possible in accordance with the international laws and criteria.
In addition, the council showed GCC firm solidarity with Lebanese people to maintain Lebanon's security and stability amid these difficult exceptional conditions the country is going through.
It called on Lebanese politicians to assume their responsibilities in restoring security, stability and development in Lebanon, and to cooperate with international organizations in carrying out required economic reforms.
On Libya's crisis, the ministerial meeting commended the efforts of the presidential council, the government of national unity and the joint military committee (5+5) in re-opening the coastal road between east and west of Libya.
The conferees lauded endeavors of the Libyan political forum in ensuring the legal and constitutional frameworks and bases in preparation for holding the national polls due on December 24, the communique concluded. (end) nsa.hm