Doha, 04/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - After the 13th ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which met the EU and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar in Doha, Georges Papandrou repeated that the EU continues to seek a peaceful solution in Iraq.
The final press release stresses that "the way the unfolding of the Iraqi crisis will be handled will have an important impact on the world in the next decades", that the aim of the EU and of the GCC remains that of disarming Iraq, but that they wish to achieve this "peacefully". The press release stresses the need to "deal effectively with the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction". "War is not inevitable" but it is up to the Iraqi regime to put an end to the crisis, the joint text states, adding that the GCC welcomes the EU's readiness to work in this context with the Arab countries and the Arab League.
In the part on the situation prevailing in the region, the press release (EUROPE will come back to the economic aspects) also evokes: - the problem of missing persons and prisoners of war (Kuwaiti or other) since the Gulf War; - the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: "violence and confrontation must give way to negotiations and compromise" and the Quartet's roadmap must be implemented; - Iran: the reform process must be encouraged; - terrorism: both parties stress the importance of the meeting on 6 March between the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee and the regional organisations. The EU and the GCC noted the intention of the Commission and of EU Member States to organise "preliminary meetings at expert level with GCC Member States to assess the feasibility of concrete cooperation"; - human rights: the EU and the GCC expressed "their commitment to promote the values which they all share" while recognising their "diversities". They also hope that the Round Table on human rights that the GCC is to establish will facilitate dialogue on human rights issues.