GCC ministerial council welcomes Saudi, UAE readiness to send land troops to fight Daesh

RIYADH, 10th March 2016 (WAM) - The GCC Ministerial Council welcomed during its 138th meeting in Riyadh yesterday Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates' commitment to send land forces as part of the US-led international coalition to fight Daesh if required. The Ministerial Council said such stand by the two countries demonstrates the GCC countries' commitment to fighting terrorism as part of an international coalition, designed to eradicate this terrorist organisation in Syria and Iraq. H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation led the UAE delegation to the meeting. The Council also expressed GCC countries' commitment to Yemen' unity, sovereignty and independence and rejection of interference in its internal affairs. It also rejected Iranian intervention in the GCC countries and region's internal affairs. The ministers discussed the implementation progress of the GCC Supreme Council's resolutions, including the efforts to realise the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz on enhancing joint action among the GCC countries. Also reviewed were memoranda and reports submitted by the ministerial committees and the General Secretariat of the GCC, pertaining to the GCC countries' relations, dialogues and strategic partnerships with a number of global blocs, as well as regional and international developments and the situation in Syria, Libya and Iraq. The Council issued a statement at the end of the meeting in which, it reiterated the right of sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, stressing that any practices or actions indulged in by Iran over the three islands are null and void. The ministers renewed their call for the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the efforts exerted by the United Arab Emirates to resolve the issue through direct negotiations or at the International Court of Justice. The statement also covered other issues of concern to the GCC countries. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395292625662.html