GCC ministerial council meeting concludes in Riyadh

The Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States issued here today a statement of the 134th session of the GCC foreign ministers.
The GCC ministerial council held here today its 134th session on 12, March, 2015, under chairmanship of HE Qatar's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah, who is also Chairman of the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council, and with participation of the GCC Foreign Ministers and GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
The Ministerial Council extended condolences to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier; Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior; the royal family and the Saudi people as well as the Arab and Islamic nations on the death of the late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Press Agency SPA reported.
The GCC ministerial council wishes all success to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and the Deputy Crown Prince.
The Ministerial Council expressed its extreme condemnation on publishing any offensive cartoons of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, stressing that they offend feelings of all Muslims and blatant expression of hate and a form of racial discrimination.
The GCC Ministerial Council condemned false accusations of the Swedish Foreign Minister against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, confirming that these accusations are contrary to all international norms and conventions and unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Ministerial Council reviewed the developments of joint action and discussed the developments of the political issues at regional and international levels, SPA reported.
The Ministerial Council stressed its complete rejection of the false accusations against some GCC countries to support for terrorism, reaffirming the GCC fixed stance renouncing terrorism and extremism in all its forms and manifestations, whatever its motives and justifications and whatever its source and drying up the sources of terrorist funding. The council stressed the GCC commitment to fight the ideology feeding terrorist groups, stressing Islam is innocent of it. The GCC council also confirmed that tolerance and coexistence among nations and peoples are among the foundations of internal and external policy of the GCC countries, stressing that GCC countries stand firm against terrorist threats facing the region and the world in order to ensure security, stability and peace.
The Ministerial Council welcomed outcomes of the Executive Committee of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (February 15, 2015, in Jeddah), the Global Counter-Terrorism Conference organized by the Muslim World League (February 22, 2015, in Makkah) and the First World Summit on Combating Violent Extremism (Washington, February, 2015) which come to enhance international, regional and bilateral cooperation among countries of the world, calling for concerted international efforts as well as military and security coordination to counter extremism and terrorism firmly and strongly.
The GCC Ministerial Council welcomed the Security Council resolution No. 2199 (February, 2015) which was issued unanimously under Seventh Chapter aiming to draying sources of terrorist financing and tightening control over the areas controlled by the terrorists.
The Ministerial Council condemned the brutal and heinous criminal acts committed by all terrorist organizations and its various contingents, including the 'ISIS' terrorist organization against innocent people, stressing that the escalation of violence and terrorist crimes threatens regional and international security and stability.
The council renewed and assured its solid stance with UAE against the Iranian occupation of the three islands, Greater Tonb, Lesser Tonb and Abu Musa. The council assured to support UAE's right of sovereignty on its three islands, Greater Tonb,Lesser Tonb and Abu Musa. The council also supports UAE's sovereignty on the regional water, air space, the continental shelf and the economic region of the three islands. These islands are part of the United Arab Emirates. The council stresses that any Iranian resolution or action on the three islands is false and does not change the legal or historical facts that indicate UAE's Sovereignty. The council calls upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to United Arab Emirates efforts to settle the issue through direct negotiations or restoring to the International Court of Justice, SPA.
The council assured that the importance of the cooperation relations between the GCC states and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the principles of good-neighborliness, not to intervene in the internal affairs, to respect the sovereignty of the region's countries and not to use power.
The Ministerial Council stressed importance of making the region of the Arabian Gulf and Middle East a free of all kinds of weapons of mass destructions, including nuclear weapons. The council confirmed a right of each country to use nuclear energy peacefully.
The Ministerial Council followed the negotiations between (5+1) countries and Islamic Republic of Iran regarding Iran's Nuclear Program and what have been reached in the negotiators in March, 2015 in order to reach a political framework at the end of June, 2015 in order to reach a final solution. The council also hoped that negotiations would lead to political agreement that ensures peacefulness of the Iran's Nuclear Program which takes into consideration the GCC environment concerns.
The Ministerial Council expressed the hope that the efforts being made, at all levels, to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis and formation of transitional government with a full executive power in accordance with statement of Geneva 1 (June, 2012) in order to achieve security, stability and unity of Syria and meet aspirations of the Syrian people.
The Ministerial Council stressed the need to preserve the sovereignty and independence of Syria and getting out of all foreign troops from the Syrian territories, SPA reported.
The Ministerial Council expressed its deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria and a continuation of Assad regime in the operation of bombing and killing, lauding the humanitarian assistance provided by the GCC countries to Syrian people in light of the difficult humanitarian conditions. The council called upon the donor countries to fulfill their obligations urgently. The Ministerial Council welcomed Kuwait's host of the third International Conference of Donors in Support of the Humanitarian Situation in Syria, stressing the necessity of activating the UN Security Council Resolution no. 2165/2014 including to facilitate arrival of the relief and humanitarian aid to the besieged areas and all affected civilians.
The Ministerial Council stressed that a comprehensive, just and lasting peace can only be achieved through Israeli full withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories in 1967 and establishment of Palestinian independent state with Al-Quds as its capital in accordance with the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The Ministerial Council expressed its support for the re-launch of a new Arab project to the Security Council to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and creation of a final settlement for the establishment of a Palestinian independent state, expressing its appreciation of the efforts exerted by the Arab ministerial delegation and the Secretary General of the Arab League in order to mobilize international support for the Arab draft resolution before the Security Council.
The Ministerial Council expressed support for the efforts and measures taken by Palestine to join the institutions and international conventions, treaties and protocols.
Affirmation of the GCC commitment of the security and stability in Yemen and supporting the legitimacy of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and completion of the political process in accordance with the GCC initiative and its mechanism executive and outputs of the National Dialogue and the Security Council's relevant resolutions, the Ministerial Council expressed pride of the approval of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the GCC leaders at the request of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to hold a conference on Yemen under the umbrella of the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh in accordance with the objectives the Yemeni President's speech to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi Press Agency SPA . These objectives are to maintaining the security and stability of Yemen within the framework of adherence to the legitimacy, rejection of the coup against it, non-dealing with the so-called Constitutional Declaration, rejection of its legitimization, the return of arms and military equipment to the State, the return of the State to extend its authority over all Yemeni territories, getting Yemen out of the dilemma to safety in order to ensure the return of matters to normalcy, the resumption of the political process in accordance with the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism and the outputs of the national dialogue, and that Yemen shall not become the headquarters for terrorist and extremist organizations and be a hotbed for them. The Ministerial Council called upon all Yemeni political components to respond urgently to the request of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
The Ministerial Council hailed the Arab League Council's welcome at the level of Foreign Ministers (9-10, March, 2015) regarding holding this conference.
The Ministerial Council confirmed on statements issued by its extraordinary meeting (21, January, 2015 / 7, February, 2015 / 14, February, 2015) on the grave situation in the Republic of Yemen and reviewing the UN Security Council resolution no. 2201 (15, February, 2015), a statement issued by the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation at the ministerial level (15, February, 2015 in Jeddah) and a statement issued by the Arab Parliament (14, February, 2015).
The Ministerial Council welcomed departure of President Saleh to Aden and exercise of his constitutional duties, considering that as confirmation of the legitimacy, calling upon the Yemeni people to support the Yemeni President in order to achieve Yemen's security, stability and unity.
The Ministerial Council lauded a visit made by the GCC Secretary General and all GCC ambassadors in Yemen to Aden and their meeting with the Yemeni President and resumption of the GCC embassies in Aden, considering that as a confirmation of the GCC commitment regarding the legitimacy and political process.
The Ministerial Council was briefed on the political and security developments at the Iraqi arena, confirming its support for Iraq's sovereignty, independence and integrity of its territories and stressed continuation of support for and participation of the GCC countries in the international alliance to combat terrorism in Iraq.
In this regard, the council expressed support for the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs' statement which condemns Iran's revelations and assures that Iraq is a sovereign state governed by its people and won't allow any other country to interfere in its internal affairs or tamper with its national sovereignty.
The Council expressed welcome of the efforts being exerted to enhance national partnership in a way that preserves Iraq's security, stability and integrity of territories.
It condemned the terrorist groups' tampering with Mosul's National Museum contents, considering the behavior as an act of destroying a deep-rooted human heritage and called on the world community to take deterring actions against those who committed those criminal hostilities.
.The Council reiterated its support for UN Security Council's resolution No. 2013/2107, unanimously referring the issue of Kuwaiti prisoners of war, the missing persons and the repatriation of Kuwaiti properties file to the UNAMI to follow up this issue, hoping that the Iraqi government would continue its effort and cooperate with the State of Kuwait and the International community in this regard.
The Ministerial Council expressed concern over increasing violence and terrorist actions that threaten the security, stability and unity of Libya, reiterating its support for the elected parliament and legitimate government in Libya as well as the UN efforts to resume the comprehensive national dialogue among the Libyan people components and calling on the Libyan people spectrum to shoulder their national responsibility and continue dialogue to find a solution that would end the current state of sedition.