GCC Secretary General lauds member states' efforts to ensure regional security and stability

GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani stressed that the Gulf Cooperation Council has proved since its inception that is a key player in ensuring stability in the Middle East which is undergoing one of the hardest and most complicated periods in its history. Speaking in Manama Dialogue, he said the council and its member states have played pioneering political and economic roles in ensuring regional security and stability amid sophisticated crises and successive threats over the past three decades. He added that the council's political and economic role has been boosted regionally and internationally owing to the political and economic importance of its member states. "The GCC countries are aware of political, security, economic, social and environmental challenges facing the region," he said, pointing out unflinching commitment to respecting the international law and countries' sovereignty and independence in their foreign policies as well as political and security approaches. He underlined the GCC countries categorical rejection of solving political issues by force, stressing renunciation of all forms of violence and anarchy and adoption of peaceful solutions and comprehensive dialogue to settle conflicts. He also asserted the need to ensure a region free of weapons of mass destruction, pointing out that those principles are pillars the GCC member states constantly adhere to and respect in their policies. He underscored the GCC countries' belief in their responsibility to achieve regional security and stability and provide assistance to sisterly and friendly countries to help them overcome economic hardships and support their development programmes. He noted that the GCC council has adopted the "collective security" concept as an approach in its work as it considers the security of its member states as indivisible. The GCC Secretary General emphasised the GCC member states' keenness on political reform and solving issues through national dialogues. "The GCC countries have worked on creating an atmosphere in the Arabian Gulf based on tolerance, moderation, reform and development," he said, adding that the main goal has always been to respect human dignity and the right to a decent life without discrimination or exclusion. He also affirmed that the GCC countries are going ahead with the implementation of the "comprehensive security" concept, being broader than the traditional one of regional security. He also pointed out the pivotal role played by the GCC countries in maintaining moderate prices of oil that support global economic development, describing that as a vivid proof to applying the concept of "comprehensive security". He also praised the strenuous efforts made to face new challenges and trans-national organised crimes which require intensive regional and international cooperation.