On Tuesday, leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council closed ranks and underlined the need to coordinate efforts in order to confront common challenges.
During a landmark summit held at Maraya Concert Hall in the historic Saudi city of AlUla and chaired by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, they signed the final communiqué, which is being termed as “AlUla Declaration”.
In a press conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan said the agreement reached between the GCC leaders calls for joint cooperation to combat any threats to Gulf security and not to compromise the GCC’s sovereignty.
The “AlUla Declaration” reaffirms the need to enhance the role of the Gulf Cooperation Council by coordinating political stances between its countries.
The declaration highlights the importance of strengthening military integration between the GCC states to encounter challenges facing the region.
“The declaration calls for protecting the national unity of signatory countries and combat any threats to the Gulf security ,” Bin Farhan said.
He said the agreement has turned a new chapter in the GCC march and put an end to all differences with Qatar. “Today’s agreement put an end to differences with Qatar. The AlUla Declaration is an achievement that will reflect on the region’s stability,” the Foreign Minister said.
“The political will of the GCC leaders is the major guarantee to implement the AlUla agreement,” Bin Farhan said.
He emphasised that the GCC countries will work as a unified entity to deal with challenges facing the region, particularly the Iranian threat.
“All American administrations realise the Iranian threat, including the Jo Biden administration, and the international community realises the need to confront Iran’s danger,” the minister said.
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AlUla Declaration
The declaration said that the Gulf residents pin a lot hopes that the summit would restore joint work to its regular observe, and strengthen the bonds of friendship and fraternity between the area’s peoples.
It stated that Egypt’s signing of the declaration confirms the nearer fraternal relations binding Egypt and the GCC international locations. The communique says that coordination, cooperation and integration among the many GCC international locations serve the lofty targets of the Arab nation.
On army integration the communique highlights the significance of strengthening inter-GCC army integration beneath the supervision of the joint defence council, the supreme army committee and united army command to confront challenges, consistent with the GCC’s joint defence settlement and safety conference.
It reaffirms the necessity to improve the GCC’s regional and worldwide function by unifying political stances between its international locations, and growing strategic partnerships with regional and worldwide organisations to serve frequent pursuits.
The summit reiterated the GCC leaders’ keenness to bolster the GCC’s beneficial properties, obtain aspirations of Gulf residents and overcome all obstacles dealing with the march of joint GCC motion.
It calls to learn from Saudi Arabia’s profitable expertise in presiding the G20, use of superior instruments, together with stimulating financial system, participating the enterprise sector and civil society organisations in addition to empowerment of girls and younger individuals in financial growth, and encourage initiatives in digital financial system.
The summit additionally requires strengthening governance, transparency, accountability, integrity and anti-corruption instruments by joint Gulf motion with all GCC our bodies, workplaces and specialised organizations, and profiting from what was agreed inside the G20 and the Riyadh Initiative on cooperation in investigations and prosecution of cross-border corruption instances, as corruption has a major affect on financial progress, sustainable growth and mutual belief between governments and peoples.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, the communique requires the total implementation of King Salman’s imaginative and prescient relating to the completion of financial unity and joint defence and safety programs in addition to formulating a unified international coverage.
It additionally requires the completion of the Gulf customs union and customary market and attaining the total financial citizenship.
