HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani taking part in the closing session of the GCC summit in Riyadh yesterday. The Emir has since returned to Doha.

QNA /Riyadh


The GCC Supreme Council has expressed deep appreciation and gratitude for the genuine and sincere efforts of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and the Qatari government during his chairmanship of the 35th session of the Supreme Council and the significant steps and achievements.
This came in the final communique of the GCC’s 36th session, which was held in Riyadh.
The communique stressed the council’s support for Qatar in hosting the 2022 World Cup and anything that would lead to its success, wishing Qatar and its people more progress and prosperity. It also reiterated its supportive stance for the UAE to host EXPO 2020.
In addition, the council expressed its firm stance in rejection of all forms of terrorism and extremism whatever the reasons and justifications are and no matter the source is. It also reiterated its stance regarding the draining of funding sources for terrorism, its commitment to the fight against deviant thought on which terrorist groups are based and fed, stressing that tolerance and coexistence between nations and peoples are among the bases of GCC states’ domestic and foreign policies.
It stressed that comprehensive, just and lasting peace will not be achieved without Israel’s complete withdrawal from all Arab lands that were occupied in 1967 and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital in line with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international legitimacy resolutions.
It condemned Israel’s continuous occupation of Arab lands, the Israeli measures to change the identity and features of Jerusalem, the continuing settlement, arbitrary detention and mass punishment of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories.
The supreme council reiterated its firm stances in rejection of Iran’s continuing occupation of the three UAE islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, expressing rejection of the constant Iranian interference in domestic affairs of GCC states and the region.
The council reaffirmed the importance of commitment to the agreement Iran and the 5+1 group reached in July 2015, stressing the importance of the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in this regard and the necessity of implementing an effective mechanism in order to verify the execution of the agreement, inspection and oversight, and re-imposing sanctions promptly and effectively if Iran violated its commitments according to the agreement.
The communique expressed deep concern regarding the exacerbation of the Syrian crisis and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the light of the continuing bombing and killing by the Assad regime and its supporters, highlighting the serious repercussions against civilians in flagrant violation of the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law, and the resulting rise in the numbers of displaced people and refugees inside Syria and in neighbouring countries.
Regarding the situation in Yemen, the council hailed the victories of the popular resistance and the pro-legitimacy army against the militias of Houthi and Ali Abdullah Saleh, and the liberation of Aden and a number of Yemeni provinces, stressing absolute commitment to the unity of Yemen, respect for its sovereignty and independence, and rejection of any interference in its internal affairs.