GCC speakers decry occupation’s crimes

The speakers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) parliaments held their 17th periodic meeting in Doha Tuesday under the chairmanship of HE Hassan bin Abdullah al-Ghanim, speaker of the Shura Council.

In the final statement, the speakers of the (GCC) parliaments denounced the killing, demolition, forced displacement and stifling and unjust siege carried out by the occupying entity to annihilate the Palestinian brothers in Gaza and in the rest of the occupied territories, stressing their solidarity with the Palestinian people and their support for their just cause and the restoration of their legitimate rights.

These included the establishment of their independent state, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, the principle of the two-state solution, the right of return for refugees, the release of prisoners, and fair compensation for prisoners and refugees.The statement also stressed the need to strengthen co-ordination mechanisms and unify the positions of the GCC countries towards the issues raised in international parliamentary forums, in order to achieve the goals and interests of the GCC countries.The heads of the Gulf legislative councils agreed to choose the topic "Cultural Diversity and the Challenges of Change: The Role of the Gulf Legislative Councils in Preserving the Gulf Identity” to be the common Gulf topic for the year 2024, which will be discussed within the framework of the councils’ work. They also appreciated the results of the recommendations of the seminar "The Role of the Gulf Legislative Councils in consolidating inter-investment and supporting national economies,” which was organized by the Shura Council in the Sultanate of Oman within the framework of the Gulf theme for the past year.The final statement also included the speakers' affirmation of their keenness to support the process of co-operation and co-ordination among member states, in an effort to achieve the desired goals and objectives in supporting joint Gulf action, and stressing the priority of common Gulf issues related to the concerns of Gulf citizens.The speakers also took a number of decisions, the most important of which was reviewing the procedures and steps taken regarding strengthening relations and exchanging visits with the European Parliament and the Latin American and Caribbean Group.The assembly congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the success of the summit of the GCC and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which was hosted by Riyadh. They also congratulated the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates on the success of the Shura Council elections and the Federal National Council elections.The final statement also stressed support of the Gulf legislative councils for the United Arab Emirates’ declaration that the year 2023 will be the year of sustainability, under the slogan (Today for Tomorrow), in line with its hosting of the COP 28 summit during November 30 to December 12.The statement also congratulated the Kingdom of Morocco on winning the bid to host the 2030 World Cup, wishing it and the Moroccan people success in organizing this global tournament.The heads and representatives of the GCC parliaments extended their highest expressions of thanks and gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, for the great hospitality, generosity, attention and good stay in Qatar. This had a clear impact on the success of the meeting in achieving its goals and producing fruitful results that will contribute to strengthening and developing joint Gulf action, they said.They also expressed their thanks and appreciation to the government and people of Qatar and the efforts of the Shura Council for hosting this meeting.