Replies to post #8364 on Foreign Correspondence

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In pictures: Gaza attack aftermath

as seen from the town of Rafah








http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7801123.stm

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MUSCAT (Reuters) - Israel's attack on Gaza will be a new top entry on the agenda of
an economic summit of Gulf Arab leaders next week, an Omani minister said on Sunday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE4BR0OL20081228?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

more on the meeting

GCC leaders to meet on Monday amidst key economic challenges

MUSCAT, Dec 27, (KUNA): Leaders of six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meet in the
Omani capital on Monday amidst crucial economic conditions resulted from the global
financial crisis which has negative impacts on global economy and that of the GCC countries.

Foreign Ministers of the GCC countries are scheduled to meet here on Sunday
to finalize the agenda of the two-day summit. Kuwait expected to be represented
by deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Sabah.

The summit will be a good opportunity for the Arab Gulf countries to coordinate
positions to finding solutions to tackle consequences of the financial crisis, which
was described by Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah as topping the agenda of the summit.

Following the financial crisis, oil prices lost over 60 percent of
their value and have thus affected revenues of the Gulf countries.

Opec, in a bid to stop plunging oil prices, cut production by a fresh 2.2 million
barrels per day (bpd) to reach a total of 4.2 million bpd based on September output.

Some Opec members have already voiced desire to see oil prices within the range of $75-80 per barrel.

The Gulf countries also moved to ease consequences of the financial meltdown by pumping
large sums of money in investment funds to guarantee enough liquidity in the market.

The Gulf leaders are set to discuss how to best tackle the financial crisis, specially
that there are many calls for the GCC countries to support a $250-billion fund of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) aimed at helping the most devastating countries.

The Gulf leaders will also attempt to remove all hurdles derailing full economic integration.
The GCC countries had already established the Common Market last January. They are
expected to approve the monetary unity project as a culmination of economic integration.

Leaders of the GCC member states are keen on advancing joint action in order to realize aspirations
for greater prosperity and development, said GCC Secretary-General Abdulrahman Al-Attiya on Saturday.

In a statement to the local “Oman” daily, he said the 29th Summit of GCC Leaders, set to be held in Muscat on Monday and Tuesday under the chairmanship of Oman’s Sultan Qabous bin Saeed, would be “a new launchpad toward GCC integration
in all areas of joint action, guided by the wisdom of Sultan Qabous and his brothers, the leaders of the Gulf states.”

He added that a number of topics would be discussed at the Muscat summit, saying the agenda included reports
and recommendations issued by the ministerial committees pertaining to joint action, as well as the monetary
union agreement and its statute, approving the charter for the joint Gulf market, a report on the “smart card,”
and a follow-up on implementation of the Higher GCC Council’s decisions in different areas.

Moreover, he said the summit would be looking into visions of the consultative authority in relation to inflation
and the general hike in the price of commodities, as well as their social impact on Gulf citizens and economies.

Al-Attiya also said that unemployment and means to overcome it would feature on the agenda,
as a report on providing more jobs for Gulf nations would be discussed, noting that it focused on
giving priority to nationals over expatriates provided they had the required qualifications.

The secretary-general also said that he would be referring a report to the summit
on means to counter the negative impact that some media outlets had
on youth, adding that another report dealt with the GCC’s strategic cultural plan.

The GCC leaders will also look into results of the meetings of foreign ministers, he said, as well as
progress in cooperation with Yemen and negotiations with other countries and economic blocs.

Al-Attiya further said the leaders would be discussing the three UAE islands occupied
by Iran, GCC-Iran relations, the latest developments in the Iranian nuclear dossier, as well
as the situations in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, and the Middle East peace process.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Ambassador to Oman Shamlan Al-Roumi hoped Saturday the 29th summit meeting
of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) would be successful in honoring aspirations of GCC nationals.

Al-Roumi, in brief remarks to KUNA, noted that the Dec 29-30 summit
would be held amidst crucial challenges facing the six GCC countries.

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/client/pagesdetails.asp?nid=26460&ccid=9