GCC summit being held at crucial time: Abdullah

In an interview withQatari newspaper Al Sharq yesterday, Abdullah said that GCC countries participated in the Annapolis conference, a matter that goes in line with the declared policy of the Arab League towards the Palestinian case, emphasising the right of the Palestinians to have their own independent country in the occupied territories including East Jerusalem.

He stressed the importance of keeping Iraq away from external interventions, and wished that the Lebanon’s leaders would soon agree upon the issue of selecting a new president to ensure the stability of the country.

About Iran’s nuclear programme, Shaikh Abdullah said they do not object to peaceful use of nuclear energy if there is a guarantee from the International Atomic Energy Agency that the said programme is for peaceful use only.

About the three UAE islands occupied by Iran, he reaffirmed UAE’s right to these islands, calling for either direct negotiations or referring the matter to the International Court of Justice.

As for Yemen’s membership of the GCC, he said all GCC countries believed that Yemen could be a vital addition to the council, and that is why the idea of involving Yemen in some specialised institutions had begun earlier in preparation for full membership at the right time.