The leaders of the member states in the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) have welcomed and graced a proposal made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia for transition from the phase of cooperation to the phase of Union.
The Saudi monarch, who is also the current chairman of the GCC, had made the proposal in his opening speech to the 32nd session of the supreme council of the GCC held on Monday in Riyadh, according to the official news agency WAM.
A statement issued by the General Secretariat of the GCC on Tuesday said: “Stemming from the faith of the GCC leaders in the importance of this proposal and its positive impact on the peoples of the region, as well as in line with the provisions of Article IV of the GCC Statute on coordination, integration and interdependence among Member States in all fields reaching up to unity, and after the exchange of views on the proposal.”
“The leaders have given directives to the Ministerial Council to form a specialised body that will be formed by selecting three members from each state. The body will be mandated to study the proposal in all its aspects in the light of the views exchanged among the leaders. The meetings of the Board will be held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat, which will provide all necessary administrative, technical and financial support to facilitate this.”
The Member States shall designate their respective representatives no later than the 1st February, 2012.
The Board will present a preliminary report in March 2012 to the Ministerial Council at its first session in 2012 in preparation for raising it to the Heads of GCC States. The Board shall also submit its final recommendations to the 14th Consultative Meeting of Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the Cooperation Council.
