The 25th summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) opened in Manama Monday to focus on its economic integration and regional security issues including the Iraqi situation. 

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa delivered a speech at the opening ceremony, saying the summit is to convey to the world a message of peace, cooperation and trust and that achieving security and stability in the region and measures to better serve the interests of Gulf citizens will be top on the agenda during the summit.

Shortly after the ceremony, the Gulf Arab leaders went into closed-door talks.

The two-day summit is expected to highlight steps toward economic integration of the six member states and relations with other regional groups, including the European Union, GCC Secretary General Abdul Rahman al-Attiya said earlier before the summit.

The GCC launched a customs union in January 2003 and agreed to establish a monetary union in 2005, a common market in 2007 and a single currency at the start of 2010.

The summit is also expected to focus on the situation in Iraq, the latest developments in the Middle East peace process and the fight against terrorism, Attiya added.

The annual year-end GCC summit has brought together leaders from six oil-rich nations in the Bahraini capital of Manama.

Omani Prime Minister Qabus bin Said, Emir of Qatar Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa are to attend the summit.

However, the de facto ruler of regional giant Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, shunned the summit.

His brother, Second Deputy Prime Minister Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz would lead the delegation instead.

No reason was given for Abdullah's absence, but Riyadh has recently criticized the host Bahrain for forging a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States.

The GCC, established in 1981, is a political and economic alliance grouping Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2004)