Brussels, 24/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament (EP) meeting in mini-session in Brussels on Thursday 24 March, adopted the report by Dominique Baudis (EPP, France) on cooperation with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) by a very large majority while commenting, in a resolution, on the serious situation in Bahrain, firmly condemning the violent repression of demonstrations and calling for the six oil-rich countries of the GCC not to deny their citizens' desire for democracy. The EP calls on these states to engage in a political dialogue with emerging civil society for a peaceful transition to genuine democracy. With the approach of the annual ministerial meeting between the EU and the GCC, to be held in Abu Dhabi on 20 April, MEPs call for regular meetings be held at head of state level. They want the EU to strengthen its diplomatic presence in the region, including by establishing an EU delegation in each of the six GCC states (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuweit, Bahrein, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar).
The Baudis report calls for trade talks to continue with the GCC and its six member states, and regrets that the free trade agreement (FTA), which has been under negotiation for 20 years, has yet to be concluded, even though, according to the EP, most of the work has been done. The report proposes extending bilateral cooperation to education, research and energy. Synergies among GCC, Union for the Mediterranean and EU countries should be sought in, for example, the fields of energy efficiency, measures to combat climate change, natural gas and nuclear safety, the report says.
The EP states forcefully that human rights and fundamental freedoms have to be guaranteed, in particular the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Within the context of the current drive for democracy in certain GCC countries, MEPs call for an immediate end to the Bahraini authorities' violent repression of peacefully demonstrating citizens. Parliament is concerned that this repression is being supported by troops from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, under the GCC banner.
MEP Angelika Niebler (EPP, Germany), who chairs the EP delegation for relations with the Arab peninsula, says that she is deeply concerned at the deteriorating situation in Bahrain, with the deployment of coalition forces led by the Saudi army and the introduction of emergency legislation. In a statement, she expresses her great distress at the “excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators and attacks on ambulances and against hospitals” and, without explicitly naming those responsible, calls for an immediate end to the violence. “We call on the Bahraini authorities to reach a peaceful response, by means of political dialogue, to the legitimate demands” of the people, she adds. She urges the authorities to respect their commitments under international human rights law and humanitarian law, including facilitating assistance for the wounded and injured. (F.B./transl.rt)