Arab Gulf States condemn Syrian poll, hail rapprochement with Iran

Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said on Monday that the Syrian presidential election undermines efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis and they reinforced the importance of cooperation between the GCC and Iran, Al-Arabi Al-Jadid reported.

GCC foreign ministers met on Monday in Riyadh with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Ahmad Sabah, who heads the current term of the council, chairing the meeting.

The council said that holding the Syrian presidential election and the resulting nomination of Bashar Al-Assad undermine the Arab and international efforts to solve the on-going crisis. The ministers renewed their support for a political solution based on the framework of Geneva I.

In addition, the GCC stressed the importance of turning war criminals in Syria over to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The council expressed its concern over the Russian and Chinese vetoes against any UN Security Council draft resolution regarding the Syrian issue.

Meanwhile, the council welcomed the visit of Kuwait’s Emir to Tehran, calling it “important and historical”. The ministers reiterated that cooperation between the council’s members and Iran has to be based on mutual respect for the sovereignty of states in the region.

They also expressed their hope that talks between Iran and the P5+1 countries – the US, Russia, China, UK and France, plus Germany – regarding Iran’s nuclear programme will reach a solution that results in Iran having a peaceful nuclear programme.

On the Palestinian issue, the GCC members welcomed the formation of the Palestinian national consensus government and affirmed that the council’s members support any effort that leads to the unity of the Palestinian people.

The GCC renewed its position regarding the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.