Israel continues atrocities against the Palestinians, evades commitment to the understandings of Annapolis meeting and procrastinates when it comes to the final status talks with the Palestinians, said the final communique of the 107th meeting of the GCC foreign ministers.
The meeting was attended by Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Head of the Kuwaiti National Apparatus Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
The GCC foreign ministers voiced hope that protracted talks with EU on free trade agreement would come to a successful end by the end of 2008 in line with the understanding reached by the two sides in the recent meeting in Brussels, Belgium.
They, meanwhile, hailed the initialing of a free trade agreement between the GCC and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and expected final endorsement of the document soon.
The meeting also discussed issues relating to human rights and environment protection and reviewed the steps taken by the GCC members to implement the resolutions of the GCC Higher Council on civilian use of nuclear energy.
The conferees hailed the Saudi-Qatari agreement on free movement of citizens of both countries with IDs only, according to the communique.
In the field of military cooperation they mulled the resolution of the 10th GCC summit on joint defense and the Peninsula Shield Joint Force in the light of the latest regional and international developments.
Concerning joint combat against terrorism, the ministers renewed commitment to joint action on the regional and international levels to nib in the bud this trans-border epidemic.
They also asserted the role of civil society organization in the global war against terrorism.
Reacting to the recent U.S. State Department report on human trafficking for 2008, the GCC voiced regret over the misinformation contained in the report.
"The politically-motivated report seeks to apply unjustifiable pressures on the GCC and other countries.
"GCC foreign ministers urge the U.S. State Department to reconsider its unfriendly policies towards the GCC members," the communique underlined.
Regarding the dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over the three Arabian Gulf islands of Greater Tonb, Lesser Tonb and Abu-Moussa, the ministers reaffirmed support for the UAE right to sovereignty over the Iranian-occupied islands, their territorial water and airspace as well as the continental cliff.
"They suggest that the two countries start direct dialogue or refer the issue to international arbitration," it added.
It expressed regret that communication with Iran had produced no positive results that would help in reaching a solution to the issue of three occupied UAE islands, a matter which contributes to strengthening security and stability of the region.
It stressed his commitment to consider all peaceful means leading to the restoration of the right of the United Arab Emirates in the three islands with a call to Iran to respond to UAE’s efforts to resolve the issue through direct negotiations or recourse to the International Court of Justice.
In regard to the Lebanese issue, the Ministerial Council expressed its appreciation to the efforts made by the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al- Thani that led to the signing of the "Doha agreement" by the Lebanese factions, saying this was the culmination of the efforts undertaken by the Arab League.
The ministers welcomed at the same time the election of Lebanese President Michelle Suleiman, and the need to complete the Doha agreement to form a Government of National Unity and begin a national dialogue.
On the Iranian nuclear file issue, the Council renewed its commitment to the principles of the Gulf Cooperation Council to respect international legitimacy and the need to find a peaceful solution to this crisis, calling for making the Middle East, including the Gulf region, a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction (WMD), while recognizing the right of countries in the region to possess expertise in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
On the issue of Iraq, the Ministerial Council renewed assurances of the need to respect the unity, sovereignty and independence of Iraq and not interfering in its internal affairs, and maintain its Arab and Islamic identity, calling for strengthening Arab role in the stability and security of Iraq and support its government.
It welcomed the visit of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Iraq.
The Council also stressed that achieving security and stability in Iraq requires a political and security resolution that addresses the causes of the crisis and put an end to the roots of sectarian sedition and terrorist acts, and achieve the true national reconciliation in the country.
The Council renewed its call for the United Nations and other concerned bodies to end what remains of matters that are still unresolved, concerning the national archives of Kuwait, which was seized by the former Iraqi regime, and to identify the fate of remaining Kuwaiti and third-country nationals.
And on the peace process in the Middle East, the Council condemned the continuing attacks and barbaric practices perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces on a daily basis against the Palestinian people, calling on the international community to exert more efforts to pressure Israel to stop its operations and the Judaization of Jerusalem, building and expanding settlements, lift the unjust blockade on the Gaza Strip, the closure of the crossings, and all actions that would aggravate the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people.
It stressed the importance of Palestinian national unity, as the basis for protecting the supreme interests of the Palestinian people, calling on the Palestinian brothers to return to compliance with the Mecca accord, demanding that Israel withdraw completely from occupied Arab territories including the Syrian Golan Heights to the line of June 4, 1967 and the remaining occupied Lebanese territories in southern Lebanon, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions.
In regard to the Sudanese issue, the Ministerial Council expressed its condemnation of the attack on the city of Omdurman, which targeted the security and stability of Sudan, and stressed its solidarity with the Government of Sudan, calling for addressing the crisis in Darfur through dialogue, national reconciliation.
On Somalia, it called on the Somali parties to support the Somali reconciliation conference, which was held in Djibouti and disseminate of security and stability.
The Ministerial Council praised the invitation of the Muslim World League that was sponsored by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to convene a conference of Islamic dialogue aimed at laying the foundations for dialogue between followers of divine religions.
It called on the world’s peoples and their governments to understanding, dialogue and a culture of tolerance, in addition to working to broaden its horizons, in the light of common denominators between civilizations and religions, and promote peaceful coexistence among nations, and ending conflicts and international problems.
