MAY 15 MEETING OF GCC LEADERS YIELDS PREDICTABLE

UNCLAS RIYADH 001030 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT PLEASE PASS TO NEA/ARP FOR SWALKER/BSHUKAN/RJACHIM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR SA SUBJECT: MAY 15 MEETING OF GCC LEADERS YIELDS PREDICTABLE RESULTS ¶1. (U) Leaders of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states met in Riyadh on May 15 for the ninth consultative meeting. They agreed on three resolutions: 1) urging the removal of all obstacles to the establishment of a Gulf Customs Union before year's end; 2) recommending that measures be quickly taken to complete the establishment of the Common Market to be announced at the Muscat meeting; and 3) announcing a unified water project that will involve all GCC countries. ¶2. (U) GCC Secretary General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah told the Saudi press upon the conclusion of the session that GCC leaders agreed to prepare a preliminary report on the establishment of a nuclear program that will be in full compliance with UN guidelines. Al-Attiyah also stated that a team of experts will meet on May 20 with the GCC Secretariat, followed by a meeting with the IAEA. ¶3. (U) In addition to the resolutions resulting from the meeting, which was chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, GCC leaders expressed support for the Arab Peace Initiative and called upon Palestinian groups to abide by the Makkah agreement that established the Palestinian National Unity Government. They also demanded that those responsible for renewed violence be held accountable. The group expressed sorrow at the "escalation of violence in Iraq and the deterioration of the security situation there." GCC leaders expressly condemned any foreign interference in Iraqi matters. Finally, meeting participants regretted that "nothing has been done" to end the political crisis in Lebanon and called for the Lebanese people to "unite for the sake of their country." ¶4. (U) According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA),GCC leaders were also briefed on the recent visit of Iranian President Ahmadinejad to the United Arab Emirates, as well as the May 12 visit to Saudi Arabia of Vice President Richard Cheney. The SPA account of the GCC meeting quotes Al-Attiyah as saying that the Iraq "situation" was at the top of the Vice President's agenda. SPA also stated that the "GCC perspective on Iraq is the same as that voiced by ...King Abdullah...that the 'illegal' occupation of Iraq is behind the current crisis in the Arab country." FRAKER