DOHA: The 44th Session of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council, held on Tuesday, adopted the Doha Declaration, which underscores the importance of Iraq’s respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kuwait pursuant to the provisions of bilateral and multilateral agreements. The Declaration, citing UN Security Council Resolution 833 (1993) on the delineation of the Kuwait-Iraqi land and maritime boundaries, urged Iraq to adopt a serious approach to the completion of the demarcation of the maritime boundaries beyond the Mark 162.

The document called on the government of Iraq to abide by the agreement on maritime navigation in the Khor Abdullah waterway, which was signed by both countries on April 29, 2012, took effect on December 5, 2013, and was jointly lodged with the United Nations on December 18, 2013. The GCC leaders rejected categorically the historical disinformation contained in the verdict of the Supreme Federal Court of Iraq on the Khor Abdullah agreement, affirming that any unilateral step by Iraq in this regard would be null and void.

They also stated their rejection of Iraq’s decision to cancel the protocol on security exchanges signed in 2008 and the appended joint plan for the safety of navigation in the Khor Abdullah, signed on December 28, 2014. The GCC Leaders renewed their support for UN Security Council Resolution 2107 (2013), which mandated the Special Representative for Iraq of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) to facilitate the efforts aiming to account for the missing Kuwaitis and other nationals in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross and retrieve the stolen property of Kuwait, including the national archive.

GCC summit

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman said on Tuesday that discussions by GCC leaders during the summit focused on raising the level of cooperation and ways to enhance it in several fields, including economic, political, and security. In a speech during a joint press conference with the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Al-Budaiwi, the Qatari premier stressed that strengthening joint Gulf action is aimed at achieving the aspirations and hopes of the people in the Gulf and enhancing the position of the cooperation countries at the regional and international levels.

Sheikh Mohammad added that the Gulf leaders discussed during the summit many current regional and international issues, most notably the war on the Gaza Strip and the crimes resulting from Zionist aggression, which come in flagrant violation of international and humanitarian laws. Sheikh Mohammad stated that the leaders stressed the importance of continuing mediation efforts to reach a complete ceasefire, ensure the opening of safe crossings, and secure the access of humanitarian aid to residents of the Gaza Strip.

Sheikh Mohammad noted that the leaders also discussed launching a political process aimed at reaching a comprehensive and just peace for the Palestinian people and preserving their legitimate rights in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative on the basis of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Qatari Prime Minister stated that the leaders welcomed the outcomes of strategic partnerships with other countries and groups, including the Association of Southeast Asia, the United States, the European Union, and the Association of Caribbean States.

In his response to the latest developments regarding the temporary pause in Gaza, the Qatari Prime Minister said that Qatar continues to collaborate with Egypt and the United States in making efforts to restore the humanitarian truce, release hostages, and exchange prisoners between the two sides. He stressed that there were challenges facing the efforts made by the mediators during the past week, which led to the cessation of the truce and the ability to extend it, underscoring the necessity of stopping the war and reaching a political solution. — KUNA