Riyadh: Gulf Cooperation Council called on Thursday for the situation in the Gaza Strip to return to how it was before Hamas seized control last month.
"[We] demand the return of the situation in the Gaza Strip to how it was before the latest incidents," foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said in a statement after a meeting in Jeddah.
It called for "respect for the Palestinian national legitimacy, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, and respect for the the Palestinian Authority's legitimate institutions ... including the elected Palestinian Legislative Council," where Hamas has a majority.
The GCC foreign ministers ended their 103rd session held under the chairmanship of Prince Saud Al Faisal, Saudi Foreign Minister. UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, took part in the meeting.
The foreign ministers voiced sympathies to the Omani government and people over the victims of Cyclone Gonu which hit the sultanate recently.
Terrorism
The final communique highlighted the efforts made by the GCC members to fight terrorism and said collective international efforts should be exerted to uproot terrorism. The communique underlined the importance of activating Riyadh Declaration issued by the international conference for combating terrorism.
At the outset of the session, Prince Saud highlighted the region's issues.
On the Palestinian issue, Prince Saud called on the Palestinians to adhere to the Makkah agreement and stressed the importance of the speedy implementation of the task of the Arab committee charged with investigating the regrettable events in Gaza.
On Iraq, the foreign minister said security and stability in Iraq require speeding up the process of reviewing the constitution in a way that bolsters national reconciliation and underlines feeling of citizenship as a basis for national loyalty. In regard to Lebanon, the foreign minister called on the Lebanese to conduct national dialogue and agree on a compromise solution.
Turning to the Iranian nuclear file, the Saudi minister called for adherence to the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and making the Middle East free of all mass destruction weapons.
- With inputs from agencies
