Jerry
01-08-2005, 01:35 AM
MANAMA, 19 December 2004 — The Gulf Cooperation Council yesterday called on all Iraqis to take part in the upcoming elections and reaffirmed its commitment to respect the will of the Iraqi people.
"The Gulf countries want stability in Iraq and we respect the choices of the Iraqi people," GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya told a press conference in Manama ahead of the annual summit of the six-nation bloc set to begin here tomorrow.
He said the elections, scheduled for Jan. 30, were essential to bring stability to the country. "We reaffirm our support for a unified Iraq and free elections that would encompass all the Iraqi people and ensure the participation of all".
Attiya also warned Iraq's neighbors against interfering in the electoral process.
Bahrain will host the two-day GCC summit, which is expected to focus mainly on economic issues. "The proposal for a GCC parliament, the integrated railroad project, the unified ID card and security are high on the agenda," said Attiya.
"The issue of Yemen and Iraq joining the GCC alliance will not be discussed. However, that does not mean that the Gulf nations cannot have a bridge of cooperation with the two nations," he said.
The Gulf finance ministers met in Manama yesterday to discuss the economic agenda of the summit. "The main point discussed was enhancing economic cooperation," said Bahraini Minister of Finance Abdullah Saif.
He defended Bahrain's decision to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, dismissing suggestions that the agreement would be revoked.
"The agreement was not a new thing, we have been in talks with the United States to sign the agreement since 1990," Saif told reporters during the opening of the summit's media center last night.
"The agreement is in the process of being ratified by both countries and it's unlikely that Bahrain would not ratify it," he said.
Saif downplayed differences between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain over the pact, which he said would benefit other GCC economies.
"There's no disagreement between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, it's a matter of different viewpoints," Saif said.
"The agreement does not harm the GCC countries, instead it benefits them because it gives them access to 280 million potential customers in the US market," he added.
Saif said recommendations to address the differences have been raised at the ministerial committee, which will review them.
The GCC foreign ministers will meet in Manama today to finalize the summit's agenda.
Saif also defended the signing of unilateral defense pacts with the United States, when asked about comments by Saudi officials. "Bahrain is not the only GCC country that has signed unilateral defense agreements with the US," he said.
Saudi officials criticized moves by some GCC countries to forge separate economic and security agreements, saying these agreements violate the council's accords and would weaken the alliance.
Bahrain signed the FTA in September, while Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and the UAE push ahead with talks to sign similar agreements.
On Friday, Bahrain's King Hamad issued a decree that would allow GCC citizens to engage in business and economic activities in Bahrain, with restrictions only in areas such as manpower agencies, insurance services, real estate, printing and publishing, car rental and transportation services.
The move has been seen as an effort to ease the GCC concerns regarding the signing of the agreement and an effort to open the door for other GCC countries to benefit from it.
In January 2003 the GCC became the biggest economic bloc in West Asia, with a combined GDP of $330 billion, when it launched its customs union. The council had approved a timetable for a monetary union planned for this year and single currency by 2010, with the hope of creating a trade bloc along the lines of the EU.
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"The Gulf countries want stability in Iraq and we respect the choices of the Iraqi people," GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya told a press conference in Manama ahead of the annual summit of the six-nation bloc set to begin here tomorrow.
He said the elections, scheduled for Jan. 30, were essential to bring stability to the country. "We reaffirm our support for a unified Iraq and free elections that would encompass all the Iraqi people and ensure the participation of all".
Attiya also warned Iraq's neighbors against interfering in the electoral process.
Bahrain will host the two-day GCC summit, which is expected to focus mainly on economic issues. "The proposal for a GCC parliament, the integrated railroad project, the unified ID card and security are high on the agenda," said Attiya.
"The issue of Yemen and Iraq joining the GCC alliance will not be discussed. However, that does not mean that the Gulf nations cannot have a bridge of cooperation with the two nations," he said.
The Gulf finance ministers met in Manama yesterday to discuss the economic agenda of the summit. "The main point discussed was enhancing economic cooperation," said Bahraini Minister of Finance Abdullah Saif.
He defended Bahrain's decision to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, dismissing suggestions that the agreement would be revoked.
"The agreement was not a new thing, we have been in talks with the United States to sign the agreement since 1990," Saif told reporters during the opening of the summit's media center last night.
"The agreement is in the process of being ratified by both countries and it's unlikely that Bahrain would not ratify it," he said.
Saif downplayed differences between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain over the pact, which he said would benefit other GCC economies.
"There's no disagreement between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, it's a matter of different viewpoints," Saif said.
"The agreement does not harm the GCC countries, instead it benefits them because it gives them access to 280 million potential customers in the US market," he added.
Saif said recommendations to address the differences have been raised at the ministerial committee, which will review them.
The GCC foreign ministers will meet in Manama today to finalize the summit's agenda.
Saif also defended the signing of unilateral defense pacts with the United States, when asked about comments by Saudi officials. "Bahrain is not the only GCC country that has signed unilateral defense agreements with the US," he said.
Saudi officials criticized moves by some GCC countries to forge separate economic and security agreements, saying these agreements violate the council's accords and would weaken the alliance.
Bahrain signed the FTA in September, while Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and the UAE push ahead with talks to sign similar agreements.
On Friday, Bahrain's King Hamad issued a decree that would allow GCC citizens to engage in business and economic activities in Bahrain, with restrictions only in areas such as manpower agencies, insurance services, real estate, printing and publishing, car rental and transportation services.
The move has been seen as an effort to ease the GCC concerns regarding the signing of the agreement and an effort to open the door for other GCC countries to benefit from it.
In January 2003 the GCC became the biggest economic bloc in West Asia, with a combined GDP of $330 billion, when it launched its customs union. The council had approved a timetable for a monetary union planned for this year and single currency by 2010, with the hope of creating a trade bloc along the lines of the EU.
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