(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The The 37th GCC Supreme Council stressed the importance of a political solution in accordance with the Gulf initiative, the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference, and the unconditional implementation of United Nations Resolution 2216 (2015).
The Supreme Council said that the formation of a so-called national salvation government and political council by the Houthis and supporters of Abdulla Saleh were a violation of the internationally recognised constitutional legitimacy and represented obstacles to a political solution.
The council expressed profound concern and denunciation of the US Congress law called Justice Against Sponsoring Terrorism Act, contrary to all international norms and laws and bases of relations among world member countries and the principle of sovereign immunity, hoping that the US authorities would reconsider this legislation as it would have negative reflections on relations among countries, including the United States, in addition to the international economic harms that might be sustained from it.
The Council assigned the consultative commission to study the following issues: Importance and hazards of social media networks, Role of women in comprehensive development in the GCC framework and fields of strategic cooperation among the GCC and Africa.
Free trade talks
The Supreme Council blessed the resumption of free trade negotiations with China. The council was briefed on the progress of negotiation rounds.
The Supreme Council reaffirmed its support for the French initiative and all Arab and international efforts to broaden participation to solve the Palestinian Cause and speed up holding of the International Conference on Peace and work on ending Israeli occupation and establishment of an independent State of Palestine with full sovereignty.
The Council called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its occupation of all occupied Arab territories including the Syrian Golan Heights.
The council reviewed a number of reports on the routine common integration march including the following: progress of GCC monetary council, GCC railway project, GCC common market, water network and water comprehensive strategy, implementation of education-related resolutions of the Supreme Council, the GCC preventive plan to combat contagious diseases
The Council approved a proposal to link the payment systems of the GCC countries and authorised the monetary agencies, and central banks of the member states to possess, run and finance the project through establishing an independent company. This is intended to provide a safe and swift environment for money transfers across the GCC.
Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the closing session of the summit, along with other GCC leaders.
Economic integration
The Supreme Council reviewed the economic and developmental integration march among the GCC countries and underscored the importance of continuing consolidating cooperation and integration among the member states prior to reaching the implementation of the Supreme Council resolutions as regards the implementation of perfect equality of reciprocal treatment among the citizens of the GCC countries in the field of Gulf common market.
The Council approved the exchange of credit information among the member states according to a short-term working plan and the comprehensive framework for the mechanism of facilitating the exchange of credit data of the council.
The Council approved the law on combating commercial cheating in the GCC countries as an imperative system of all
The council underscored the importance of commitment to implement the GCC railway project and decided transferring the matter to the economic and developmental affairs to forge the necessary mechanism to complete the project as prescribed and as per the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
The Council blessed the secretariat-general's initiative to recruit female and male youths as consultants at the secretariat general on the youths issues and interests and underscored the importance of the secretariat general continuing to organize youths events as part of the annual GCC days.
The Council instructed the embassies and consulates of the GCC countries as well as competent authorities to get reassured of the health of expatriates using the electronic test system linking the GCC countries.
The Supreme Council conveyed condolences on the death of Grandfather Emir H H Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, recalling his efforts in the establishment of the GCC and supportive positions for its joint march and enhancing it in all fields.
The Council followed with profound concern and strong denunciation the targeting by Houthi militias and Saleh of Makkah using a ballistic missile in flagrant negligence of the city's sanctity for the whole Islamic nation, a move considered by the Supreme Council as leading to tampering the security of the Islamic Ummah, spreading sectarian sedition and supporting terrorism in the region.
The Council congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on being re-elected member of the Human Rights Council by the UN general assembly for three years, starting 2017.
The Council congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US presidential elections, looking forward to enhancing the historic and strategic relations between the U.S. and the region and wishing the U.S. friendly people steady progress and prosperity under the new president's leadership.
The Council followed up with great concern the abduction of a number of Qatari citizens in southern Iraq who entered the country with official entry visas and upon coordination with the Qatari embassy in Doha.
The Council considered this terrorist act as a flagrant breach of the international law and violation of human rights in addition to being contrary to the rules of Islamic religion and harms the relations between Arab brothers.
The Council expressed solidarity with the Qatari government and supports whatever measure it might take to secure their return and requests the Iraqi government to spare no effort to secure their release.
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