Deputy Premier attends GCC final session

Kuwait : Deputy Premier Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa attended the final session of the 38th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit held yesterday at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait City. 

The two-day meeting in the Kuwait City, which took place six months after the siege announced on Qatar, was declared closed after yesterday’s proceeding which was chaired by Amir of Kuwait Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. 

During the meeting, Shaikh Al Sabah called for the formation of a committee to look into modifying the GCC’s statute, saying such a step would help the council to continue its leading political role in the Gulf, Kuna reported.

Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al Jubeir, Saudi foreign minister and Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud, Oman’s deputy prime minister took part in the summit. Qatar was represented by Emir Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad. 

GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani read the final statement which affirmed the importance of sticking to the GCC march and protecting it from regional pitfalls. 

The final communiqué underlined the necessity of strengthening and developing joint GCC political, economic and security work in particular. It affirmed the GCC pivotal role in combating extremism and terrorism and drying up its sources of financing. 

The Amir of Kuwait announced that the 39th GCC summit would be convened in the Sultanate of Oman in 2018. 

Earlier, Shaikh Mohammed was received upon his arrival in Kuwait by Amir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Crown Prince Shaikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Kuwait’s Speaker Marzouq Ali Al Ghanim, Prime Minister Shaikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Sabah, and senior Kuwaiti officials.

At that time, Shaikh Mohammed told the Kuwaiti Amir that Bahrain’s participation in the Summit “emanates from its keenness on upholding the unity and cohesion of the GCC countries” in view of safeguarding the accomplishments of the GCC countries. 

The Deputy Premier Shaikh Mohammed bade farewell to the Kuwaiti leader and thanked him for the warm welcome and genuine hospitality. He hailed the wisdom of the Kuwait leader in moderating the summit sessions, lauding his pioneering role in bolstering the GCC march.