KUWAIT, Nov 24 (KUNA) -- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states stand ready to deal with any radiological and nuclear emergencies in case they were to arise, the chief of a bloc-wide emergency management center said on Monday. Underlining public safety as the primary objective, GCC Emergency Management Center Director Dr. Rashed Al Marri said that the center is now in "full activation" mode, just days after an exercise, involving GCC member states, was held in the UAE.
The drill enhanced the GCC preparedness and the joint response plan to deal with potential nuclear and radioactive emergencies, he underlined.
He went on to espouse the merits of the exercise, "Barakah," in boosting efficiency and allowing GCC member states to share their experiences on the matter, subsequently putting in place a "unified" response plan in the event any nuclear emergencies were to ensue, he added.
Hailing the drill as having set a "precedent" for Gulf Arab cooperation, he said that the GCC emergency management center routinely organizes similar exercises in a bid to ratchet up preparedness across the six-member bloc, emphasizing that the drill has met its objectives.
The exercise, held via video link on Wednesday, was part of GCC efforts to raise the level of preparedness across the Gulf Arab region to deal with any nuclear or radioactive emergencies. (end) aa.nam