The foreign ministers of the Gulf states pledge support for Syria’s stability

KUWAIT

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers on Thursday reiterated their support for Syria’s stability, security and transition process in the country.

The GCC’s top diplomats held an extraordinary meeting in Kuwait to discuss developments in Syria and Lebanon.

A final statement following the meeting reiterated support for all efforts aimed at a comprehensive and inclusive transition process “to fulfill the Syrian people’s hopes for stability, development and a dignified life.”

The statement stressed that Syria’s security and stability are “cornerstones of regional security.”

It welcomed “the measures taken to ensure the safety of civilians, prevent bloodshed, bring about national reconciliation, preserve the institutions and resources of the Syrian state, and the decision to disband militias and armed factions, with the state having sole authority to carry weapons.”

The statement called on all parties and sections of the Syrian people to “combine their efforts, put national interests first, maintain national unity and initiate an inclusive national dialogue in order to advance the Syrian people’s hopes for security, stability, To achieve development and prosperity.”

The GCC was founded on May 25, 1981 in Riyadh and consists of six member states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after dissidents seized control of the capital Damascus on December 8, toppling the Baath Party regime that had been in power since 1963.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala

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