Crown Prince: GCC achievements are a source of honour and pride but strong ambitions will drive us to achieve more

Abu Dhabi, Dec. 13 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister today participated in a plenary session as part of the FIKR 15 Conference, which is organised by the Arab Thought Foundation in partnership with the Arab League, and is entitled "Arab Integration: The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)", in Abu Dhabi. During the session, His Royal Highness stressed that the achievements of the GCC are a source of honour and pride, highlighting that stronger ambitions will drive us to achieve more. His Royal Highness further stressed that further integration must be achieved to strengthen the GCC’s ability to work as a unified bloc and build on its international influence. His Royal Highness highlighted that this ambition will be achieved if GCC nations work at an accelerated pace, particularly in light of global challenges. The Crown Prince welcomed the vision of GCC leaders in institutionalising economic cooperation, in order to coordinate the development of legislation and regulations that stimulate business activity and diversify economies. The Crown Prince then stressed the importance of linking these efforts with practical steps to ensure the GCC’s long-term goals are met. As part of this, His Royal Highness said GCC infrastructure must continue to be developed, which will boost productivity, support sustainable economic development, and benefit future generations. In this regard, His Royal Highness noted the GCC-wide commitment to continued infrastructure investment, adding that the GCC railway project, GCC Water Link Project, and renewable energy investments are among projects the region will benefit from. His Royal Highness added that the private-sector financed new King Hamad Causeway will provide a second road link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and will be an integral addition to GCC infrastructure that will attract regional and international companies. His Royal Highness addressed the priorities that the GCC should focus on in the next phase of development in order to build on its achievements. The Crown Prince stressed that the long-term success of the GCC will be built upon modern and comprehensive education for the region’s young people, and by allowing them to innovate, pursue entrepreneurship and other opportunities. The Crown Prince highlighted the services that have been delivered for Gulf citizens since the inception of the GCC, including improved ease of travel through the provision of ID cards, as well as increased ease of doing business which has resulted in GCC citizens owning over 40,000 CRs and own real estate in other GCC countries. The resolutions and decisions issued at previous GCC Summits have also facilitated new medical treatment for hundreds of thousands of GCC nationals, and alignment of medical policies has lowered costs of medication. In regards to infrastructure, the integration of electrical and water networks has provided greater electrical capacity and created a solid base for the GCC Water Link Project to build on. His Royal Highness also spoke about defence cooperation and highlighted that the GCC joint defence system has played a crucial role in guaranteeing the security of the GCC. The Crown Prince noted the security challenges GCC countries face, adding that these require strengthening of GCC defence cooperation across all sectors, including the establishment of defensive cover against ballistic missiles. In this regard, His Royal Highness added that the GCC was founded in 1981 at a turbulent time, adding that it has enabled the region to overcome numerous challenges and avoid regional turmoil. His Royal Highness emphasised that some of the most important achievements made by the GCC relate to economic and trade cooperation. His Royal Highness noted that the GCC efforts have ensured greater shared prosperity, and led to initiatives such as the joint Gulf market and the unification and reduction of custom fees, which increased trade from $15 billion in 2002 to $115 billion in 2015. The Crown Prince noted that GCC countries have the potential to become even more influential as an economic bloc. With regards to Bahrain’s economy, His Royal Highness added that even in light of the challenges faced by the Kingdom in 2011, Bahrain was capable of continuing to achieve positive economic growth. His Royal Highness highlighted that the Kingdom’s programmes and initiatives that are being pursued are in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, and will be built upon past successes. For example, there has been an increase in average household income of Bahraini families by 47% since 2008. His Royal Highness highlighted that today’s presentation only confirms the GCC’s success as an organisation as it has maintained cohesion whilst addressing a myriad of changes and complex challenges. His Royal Highness further highlighted that GCC states have made significant progress towards becoming a fully integrated union through the building of strong joint-institutional links and developing applicable legislations. In this regard, His Royal Highness added that the GCC Union should swiftly commence as soon as these legislations have been approved, moving it from a vision to a tangible reality and benefiting all citizens across the Gulf. On this note, His Royal Highness stressed the importance of ensuring the GCC Union continues to uphold Arab identity and values, which transcend all segments and differences. His Royal Highness further stressed the importance of protecting religion from those who wish to distort its tolerance and moderation for political gain or into terrorist extremist ideologies. His Royal Highness moved on to address the significant role GCC diplomacy has played in delivering resolutions that have had a positive impact on the GCC and the wider region. The Crown Prince noted that all GCC countries maintain a positive influence among the international community, specifically citing the major impact joint-GCC diplomacy has had on the overall image of the GCC bloc. In this regard, His Royal Highness recalled the joint-GCC statement at the conclusion of the Camp David summit, a meeting requested by the US administration in order to discuss the Iranian nuclear agreement. With regards to the strong ties between the GCC and international powers, the plenary session reviewed the GCC-UK Summit, which was held in Manama and attended by the British Prime Minister, Theresa May. His Royal Highness specifically noted the British Prime Minister’s confirmation of the UK’s commitment to further improve strong bilateral political, economic and security ties with its allies in the region, adding that the security of the Arabian Gulf is linked to Britain’s security. In this regard, His Royal Highness noted the strong and growing ties between the UK and Bahrain, citing that 2016 celebrated 200 years of bilateral relations. Addressing GCC-US ties and President-elect Trump, His Royal Highness expressed his hope that the new administration would work to build on current GCC-US strategic achievements. In this regard, His Royal Highness stressed the importance of further developing positive and constructive ties that would benefit the US and GCC countries. Also during the plenary session, His Royal Highness touched on the deep history of the GCC countries, which started as an idea and grew into a strong, robust bloc through strong commitment by its leadership. His Royal Highness noted that the announcement of the establishment of the GCC in the Abu Dhabi Summit in 1981 came about as a result of the common characteristics between the countries in terms of language, religion, family ties, and geographic location.