This came in the final statement of the summit held in Manama, chaired by the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and with the first participation of the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, in such summits since 2020.
The summit was attended by the Emir of Kuwait, Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Vice President of the UAE, Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
The leaders affirmed, according to the final statement, "their determination to continue the path of coordination and integration among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in all political, security, economic and social fields, leading to their desired unity, in a way that achieves common fraternal interests and contributes to establishing the foundations of security, peace and prosperity in the region and the world."
The leaders stressed the importance of "respecting the sovereignty of the GCC states and all other countries in the region, not interfering in their internal affairs, and rejecting the use of force or the threat thereof," emphasizing that the security and stability of the GCC states are indivisible. They also stressed that any infringement on the sovereignty of any member state is a direct threat to its collective security.
The leaders affirmed their support for regional and international efforts aimed at ensuring full compliance with the terms of the agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and strengthening efforts and endeavors leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The 46th session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders’ summit kicked off in Manama on Wednesday.
The Bahrain summit is the first Gulf summit attended by the Sultan of Oman since he assumed power in January 2020.
This is the highest level of Omani representation at a Gulf summit in 14 years, as Muscat has traditionally been represented at the ministerial level.
In December 2011, the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman headed his country’s delegation to the 32nd Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) comprises six countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. It was established on May 25, 1981, and its headquarters are in Saudi Arabia.
