FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE RIYADH-BASED GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC) HELD THEIR ORDINARY 100 SESSION OF THE MINISTERIAL COUNCIL IN JEDDAH TODAY UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF SHEIKH ABDULLAH BIN ZAID AL NAHAYAN, FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE). ADDRESSING HIS COLLEAGUES THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, BAHRAIN, KUWAIT, OMAN AND QATAR, THE UAE FOREIGN MINISTER SAID THIS MEETING PRECEDES THE 26TH SUMMIT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR SAUDI ARABIA IN DECEMBER 2006. HE WELCOMED THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE CONSULTATIVE COMMISSION OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE GCC WHO TAKE PART IN THIS MEETING TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON THE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP, ITS IMPACT ON THE GULF CITIZENSHIP AND ITS ROLE IN BOLSTERING THE GCC RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, BASED ON A STUDY INSTRUCTED BY THE GCC SUMMIT. ON THE ECONOMIC ISSUE, HE SAID THAT DESPITE STRENUOUS EFFORTS EXERTED BY THE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED FOR ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND UNIFICATION, STILL ECONOMIC BARRIERS EXIT AND BLOCKS BEFORE THE FLOW OF COMMODITIES AMONG THE GCC MEMBER STATES TAKE PLACE. --MORE
