(Riyadh) – Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud called for the creation of a Gulf Union at the opening session of the annual Gulf Cooperation Council Summit being held at Riyadh.
The Summit is attended by rulers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.
Addressing the participants of the Summit King Abdullah said, “I ask today that we move from a phase of cooperation to a phase of union within a single entity to achieve joint welfare and stave off threats. History and experience have taught us not to be complacent with our reality and feel complacent. Whoever does this will be left behind and face weakness. We don’t accept this for our countries, peoples, security and stability”.
The Saudi King also urged the Gulf bloc to help their “Arab brothers so that the blood stops flowing and to guard against the risks of foreign intervention. You must realize that our security and stability are threatened and we need to live up to our responsibilities. Our summit opens in the shadow of challenges that require vigilance and a united stance”.
The GCC summit comes as the regime of Syria agreed to an Arab League proposal to send observers to the country. In addition to Syria, the Gulf leaders will also discuss the situation in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
