Sahara issue: GCC stands by Morocco

The GCC countries expressed total solidarity with Morocco in its dispute with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s infuriating description of Western Sahara territory as an “occupation.”
The GCC summit at Al-Diriyah Palace in Riyadh — chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman — said the bloc holds great respect and regard for the Moroccan king, his country and his people.
“This meeting is a reflection of the special and distinct relations that bind GCC member states and Morocco,” said King Salman.
Addressing King Mohammed of Morocco, King Salman reiterated the keenness of the GCC states to put their bilateral relations with Morocco at the highest levels in all spheres, including political, economic, military and security. “As we appreciate your country’s supporting stances for the causes of our countries, (we) confirm our solidarity and support for all political and security-related issues concerning your country, including the Moroccan Sahara issue,” said King Salman. “We reject in totality any act that may affect Morocco’s supreme interests.”

“As we appreciate your country’s supporting stances for the causes of our countries, (we) confirm our solidarity and support for all political and security-related issues concerning your country, including the Moroccan Sahara issue,” said King Salman. “We reject in totality any act that may affect Morocco’s supreme interests.”
“Your Majesty, I would like to stress that we pay great attention to tackle Islamic and Arab nations’ issues, including the Palestinian cause and the Syrian and Libyan crises,” said King Salman. “We are keen about Iraq’s security and stability.”
“In Yemen, we want to find a solution, in accordance with the GCC initiative, outputs of the national dialogue and Security Council Resolution No. 2216,” he said. “We hope that the talks in Kuwait would achieve progress in this regard. This meeting will unify our stance and promote our relations to best serve the interests of our countries and our peoples.”
Acknowledging the support, King Mohammed said: “The security and stability of the Gulf states is in Morocco’s interest. We have similar views on common issues which increase the depth of the ties between our nations.”
Without mentioning Ban’s name, King Mohammed said the UN chief was misled by his advisers. “The summit is not directed against any particular person, but it is aimed at defending our interests.”
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah said: “We will continue to strengthen the partnership with Morocco in light of the events experienced by the region that require unity.”
Later, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Salaheddine Mezouar and Foreign MInister Adel Al-Jubeir held talks.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation between the two countries. They also discussed issues of common interests.
At a press conference at the Diriyah Palace, the two ministers vowed to fight terror and extremism in the region.
Al-Jubeir said that problems in Syria, Iraq and Yemen were discussed to maintain peace and security in the region. He reiterated the Kingdom’s supportive stance on the territorial integrity of Morocco, expressing hope to find a lasting solution to the dispute over Western Sahara and attention to the issues of the regional development.
The Moroccan minister expressed his country’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia. He also pledged his country’s fullest cooperation for the Islamic Military Coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
Source: Arab News