Kuwait Proposes Gulf Mechanism to Resolve Disputes

Leaders and representatives of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) attend a meeting during their annual summit in Kuwait City, Kuwait, December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Assad Hani

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah proposed at the opening of the Gulf summit in Kuwait on Tuesday to find a mechanism for settling disputes within the Gulf Cooperation Council.
 
The summit was held in the absence of the majority of Gulf leaders, most notably the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, in an indication of the gravity of the Qatari crisis and the lack of prospects for a political solution.  Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was the only Gulf leader to participate in the summit, in addition to the Emir of Kuwait.
 
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad underlined the need for the GCC to distance itself from any internal dispute between the member states in order to avoid disrupting its work mechanism.
 
Speaking at the opening session, the Kuwaiti Emir called for establishing a new mechanism for resolving disputes within the GCC and for amending the Council’s statute.
 
“Let us assign a committee to amend the statute of this entity, which guarantees a specific mechanism for resolving disputes and ensures our full adherence to the statute,” he said, adding that such measure would “affirm our respect for each other, and raise our relations to a level that enables us to face regional and international challenges.”
 
On the Gulf dispute with Iran, the Kuwaiti Emir said that the Iranian policy in the region “contradicts the rules of relations between the countries, which are stipulated in international law and include good neighborliness, respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs.”
 
He added that Iran “is a great concern for us,” stressing that the region “will not be stable unless these principles are fully adhered to.”
 
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad talked about the terror threats to the region, saying: “The international community has been able to achieve a broad victory on terrorism in both Iraq and Syria, but this danger continues to threaten the stability of the world and all humanity, as crises and conflicts continue to be a focal point that feeds terrorism.”