The foreign ministers of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) said on Monday that a peaceful solution must be found to the
Iranian nuclear issue, urging Tehran to cooperate with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The ministers met in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh where
they were briefed by GCC Secretary-General Abdul-Rahman al-Attiyah
on his talks with IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei when he
visited Vienna last month.
The Middle East and Gulf region needs to be free of weapons of
mass destruction, the foreign ministers said in a statement issued
at the end of the day-long gathering.
But international accords need to acknowledge the right to
develop nuclear technology for civilian purposes, the statement
said.
It appealed to the international community to press Israel to
join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and allow scrutiny of its
nuclear facilities. The ministers also discussed the situation in
Iraq, the national reconciliation of Palestinians, the crisis in
Lebanon.
The Gulf states made their joint statement as the six major
powers -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and
Germany -- discussed a new draft resolution that would impose
sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to abandon its disputed nuclear
program.
The United States has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear
weapons under the cover of a civilian program, a charge that Iran
has denied.
The IAEA said on Feb. 22 that "Iran has not suspended its
enrichment-related activities" in accordance with a resolution
adopted by UN Security Council on Dec. 23, 2006, that demanded Iran
suspend uranium enrichment within 60 days.
Iran has refused to do so, saying its nuclear program is for
civilian purposes only.
(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2007)
