Leaders of the six nations Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) started proceedings of their 25th summit meeting, here today. Bahrain's king, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who opened the summit with a short speech said : "We have always been a symbol of coherence and integration, and we will continue to be so." The two-day summit is expected to discuss terrorism, next month's elections in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, and various economic matters such as the GCC's progress toward a monetary union. Saudi Arabia's delegation to the summit is headed by Prince Sultan Bin Abdul-Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. The GCC is made up of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
