Manama: Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, emphasized during the opening session of the 46th GCC Summit in Manama, Bahrain, the importance of constantly pursuing joint efforts to address regional issues, particularly as the summit convenes under the keen attention of GCC leaders to support the Gulf cooperation process and strengthen its institutional capacities.
According to Qatar News Agency, in the opening session of this summit in which the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni participated, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain stressed that it is vitally important to proceed with the joint endeavor to address regional issues, with the Palestinian cause at the forefront through invoking dialogue, as well as political and diplomatic options that strengthen stability and broaden enduring horizons for advancing the security of the region and its sustainable development.
Hosting this summit offers an opportunity in which commitment is renewed to maintain the pathway of joint Gulf action, King Hamad underlined, adding that these gains would never have been achieved without the shared vision and unified policies that literally made the Gulf priorities the linchpin of its security. He highlighted the achievements in the paths of cooperation, particularly those related to Gulf citizenship and economic unity, looking forward to completing the customs union project and the GCC common market, and expanding partnerships in the fields of food and water security, the digital economy, renewable energy, and other critical sectors.
For his part, HH Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, said the GCC, with the awareness of its peoples and their unity, has surmounted complex regional and global circumstances and formidable challenges, culminating in achieving stability through collective security and common destiny. He stressed to the generations that unity and concerted efforts are contingent upon overcoming the challenges toward peace.
HH Amir of Kuwait reiterated his utmost condemnation of the Israeli treacherous aggression against the State of Qatar, reaffirming full solidarity with Qatar. He stressed that any aggression against any GCC member state is a direct aggression against all members. Pertaining to the Palestinian issue, HH Amir of Kuwait reiterated his condemnation of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, emphasizing the necessity of ending it while upholding the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state along the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He also commended all global efforts undertaken to implement the two-state solution and to end the aggression in Gaza.
Addressing the summit, Secretary-General of the GCC Jasem Mohammed AlBudaiwi affirmed that the Gulf destiny is one, noting that Qatar's security is inseparable from the security of all GCC states, and that any threat to a Gulf state constitutes a direct threat to all GCC states. He highlighted the two painful incidents that the world witnessed this year, which revealed to all that the Gulf destiny is one and that Gulf security is one security.
On the about the Iranian missile attacks on Qatar, AlBudaiwi stressed that they were a reprehensible aggression and a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, airspace, and principles of good neighborliness, as well as a gross breach of international law and the UN Charter. The brutal Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar during its mediation efforts to plant the seeds of peace in Gaza, in a brazen assault on global efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire and securing the release of hostages in Gaza, AlBudaiwi noted.
He noted that all GCC states rallied to support State of Qatar and uphold its security and sovereignty, emphasizing that Qatar's security is inseparable from the security of all GCC states, and that any threat to a Gulf state constitutes a direct threat to all of them. AlBudaiwi further stressed that the positions of GCC states toward the Palestinian cause have been and will remain steadfast, grounded in enduring principles, reflecting the centrality of this issue and the importance of ending the occupation and establishing the independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Regarding military cooperation, AlBudaiwi affirmed that the GCC has begun executing the decisions and recommendations of the extraordinary session of the Joint Defense Council in the wake of the brutal Israeli aggression against Qatar, in addition to conducting numerous joint military drills. AlBudaiwi further noted the ongoing Ittihad 25 exercise of the Gulf naval forces, as well as the continued convening of specialized military committee meetings to bolster joint deterrence capabilities.
He also addressed economic integration and development among the countries of the region, the establishment of the Gulf Civil Aviation Authority, the adoption of amendments to certain provisions of the Unified GCC Value Added and Excise Tax Agreement, and the launch of the Gulf Industrial Platform. He further highlighted that the GCC likewise strengthened the Gulf Common Market, regulated trade in services, and established mechanisms for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, in addition to signing a statement initiating free trade negotiations with Malaysia.
In the field of legislative and legal affairs, AlBudaiwi clarified that the GCC Unified Legislation Drafting Guide has been issued, in addition to strengthening integrity through the GCC Anti-Corruption Guides, and the adoption of several decisions by the GCC group at the UN Human Rights Council.