THE leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states condemned “hostile and racist” remarks against Muslims and Syrian refugees, days after the US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a ban on the entry of Muslims into the United States.
The call came in a joint statement by the Gulf leaders at the conclusion of their two-day summit meeting, which concluded in Riyadh Thursday. “The 36th session of the GCC Supreme Council expressed its deep concern at the increase of hostile, racist and inhumane rhetoric against refugees in general and Muslims in particular,” said the statement which was read out by GCC Secretary General Abdullatif Al-Zayani.
The summit also called for an international reconstruction conference for Yemen after any peace deal to end the country’s civil war.
Al-Zayani said the summit called on countries, international organizations, human rights bodies and the media to take a strong position against such racist rhetoric and contribute to enhance awareness among the people against them. “The global community has to shoulder responsibility in extending the required protection to the migrants and refugees who are fleeing the fire ignited by tyrant rulers and terrorist organizations,” the statement said.
Al-Zayani said the Gulf states called for an international conference for Yemen reconstruction after the parties reach the aspired political solution.”
He said it would be done in accordance with a “practical program to rehabilitate the Yemeni economy and to ease its merger into the Gulf economies,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.
The leaders lauded the victories achieved by the Yemeni Popular Resistance and the forces of the legitimate government against the Houthi militias and deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh. They pledged their full support to President Abdrabbou Mansur Hadi and his government, as well as to continue the work to restore security and stability to the entire parts of Yemen.
While applauding the UN efforts through its envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in implementing its Resolution No. 2216, the summit welcomed resumption of talks in Switzerland on Dec. 15.
The GCC leaders also endorsed a political solution for war-ravaged Syria, under an international framework agreed to last month. The statement said that the rulers “support a political settlement... that guarantees the territorial integrity and independence of Syria.”
The summit voiced deep concern over the worsening political crisis and appalling humanitarian condition in Syria in the backdrop of the massacre being perpetrated by Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and the militias loyal to it.
The leaders welcomed Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the meeting of the Syrian opposition groups in its bid to find a political solution to the crisis. The summit called for quick implementation of the UN Security Council resolution with regard to sending direct and unhindered humanitarian assistance to all parts of Syria.
“The countries of the world shall assume a shared responsibility in the fight against extremism and terrorism and its elimination whatever might be its sources,” the summit said while adding that the GCC countries have made a lot in this regard and will continue their efforts, in cooperation and coordination with other countries.
“Terrorism has no religion, and our tolerant religion rejects it, as it is the religion of moderation and tolerance,” the leaders emphasized.
The GCC leaders approved the vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on strengthening integration among the Gulf states as one of the top priorities of the GCC joint work over the next year.
The summit also agreed to complete the remaining requirements of the Customs Union set forth in Article I of the Economic Agreement between the GCC countries, and these included decisive actions to facilitate, speed up and simplify customs procedures and the completion of preferential treatment for GCC nationals and their families in all intra ports without exception.
The summit also decided to establish the Gulf Judicial Authority as well as to complete the procedures to establish a common market.
The Summit pledged full support to the UAE for hosting Expo 2020 and Qatar to host World Cup 2022.
The Supreme Council re-appointed Al-Zayani as the secretary general for another period of three years.
At the conclusion of the summit, Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa announced that Manama would host next year’s GCC summit.
