GCC Ministerial Council – 52nd session – Letter from Saudi Arabia

GENERAL ASSEMBLY SECURITY COUNCIL

Forty-ninth session Forty-ninth year

Items 38, 39, 40, 50, 53, 71 and

  91 of the provisional agenda*

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

THE SITUATION IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

QUESTION OF PALESTINE

THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN AND ITS

  IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL

  PEACE AND SECURITY

CONSEQUENCES OF THE IRAQI OCCUPATION OF

  AND AGGRESSION AGAINST KUWAIT

MAINTENANCE OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL

  ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Letter dated 20 September 1994 from the Permanent Representative

of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations addressed

to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to transmit herewith the final communiqué issued by the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council at its fifty-second ordinary session, held at the headquarters of its Secretariat at Riyadh on Saturday, 17 September 1994.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 38, 39, 40, 50, 53, 71 and 91 of the provisional agenda, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Gaafar M. ALLAGANI   

Permanent Representative

________________________

* A/49/150.

94-36821 (E)   230994

Final communiqué issued by the Council of Ministers of the Gulf 

Cooperation Council at its fifty-second ordinary session

on 17 September 1994

The Ministerial Council held its fifty-second ordinary session on Saturday, 17 September 1994, at the headquarters of its Secretariat at Riyadh, under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the current session of the Ministerial Council, in the presence of the following:

His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahayan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates;

His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Bahrain;

His Excellency Mr. Yousef Bin Al-Alawi Bin Abdulla, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman;

His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabr Al Thani, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar;

His Excellency Mr. Abd al-Aziz Dakhil al-Dakhil, Minister of State for Ministerial Council Affairs of the State of Kuwait.

The Ministerial Council discussed new developments on the regional scene in the light of the fact that the Iraqi regime is following a policy of procrastination, selective dealing with the Security Council resolutions relating to its aggression against Kuwait and failure to implement the essential obligations imposed by those resolutions, particularly the provisions of resolution 687 (1991), which defines the cease-fire terms.  The Council condemns the Iraqi regime for its attempt to disengage itself from its interrelated obligations and reaffirms that respect for the sovereignty and independence of Kuwait and its international boundaries and the release of all prisoners and detainees constitute the core of the obligations laid down.  The Ministerial Council also condemns the Iraqi regime's attempts to fragment that resolution and to exploit article 22 thereof for the purpose of having the sanctions imposed on it lifted, to the exclusion of compliance with the other basic obligations provided for in other sections of resolution 687 (1991).

The Ministerial Council calls on the international community to oppose the Iraqi regime's attempts to circumvent the resolutions of international legitimacy and commends in this connection the fact that, in September 1994, the Security Council decided to maintain the sanctions against the Iraqi regime until such time as it has implemented all the resolutions of international legitimacy and all the provisions of resolution 687 (1991), particularly those relating to respect for the sovereignty of Kuwait and documented recognition of the international boundaries between Kuwait and Iraq, in accordance with resolution 833 (1993) and on the basis of the promulgation of legislation by the Iraqi Revolution Command Council and the Iraqi National Assembly, to be published in the Iraqi Official Gazette and documented and deposited with the United Nations; the release of imprisoned and detained Kuwaitis and third-country nationals; prompt payment of compensation; and renunciation of terrorism.  It expresses appreciation in this connection to the States members of the Security Council for their decisive stand in calling for the implementation of all Security Council resolutions.

The Ministerial Council reaffirms its wholehearted desire for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and its sympathy with the fraternal Iraqi people in its ordeal and suffering, for which the Iraqi regime bears full responsibility because of its refusal to implement Security Council resolutions 706 (1991) and 712 (1991), which deal with Iraq's needs of foodstuffs and medicine.

The Council reviewed new developments in relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council States and the Islamic Republic of Iran and affirmed the position of the Council States calling for the safeguarding of the security and stability of the region and the establishment of natural neighbourly relations based on mutual respect, non-intervention in internal affairs and the renunciation of the use or threat of force and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means.

Proceeding from these principles, the Council States have on many occasions appealed to Iran to respond to the invitation of the United Arab Emirates to resolve the question of Iranian occupation of the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, belonging to the United Arab Emirates, by peaceful means and through serious bilateral negotiations.

The Ministerial Council appreciates the efforts made by the United Arab Emirates to settle this dispute bilaterally, and, since Iran has expressed no serious wish to discuss the termination of its occupation of the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, the Council invites Iran to accept referral of this dispute to the International Court of Justice as the international instance competent to settle disputes between States.

The Ministerial Council studied new developments in the peace process in the Middle East.  It noted with satisfaction the tangible progress achieved on the Palestinian-Israeli track and the major steps being taken by the two sides within the framework of the early transfer of responsibilities to the Palestinian civilian Authority and the expansion of Palestinian self-government. It invites the international community and the co-sponsors of the Conference, the United States of America and the Russian Federation, to put pressure on Israel to desist from placing obstacles in the way of the Authority's exercise of its functions.  The Council welcomes the progress made on the Jordanian-Israeli track.  It expresses its deep concern that no tangible progress has been made in the talks on the Syrian-Israeli track and the Lebanese-Israeli track owing to Israel's obduracy and refusal to apply the principles agreed on at the Madrid Peace Conference and the principle of land for peace.  The Council affirms that the essence of the peace process is the achievement of a just and comprehensive peace on all tracks.

The Ministerial Council reaffirms its full support for the peace process on all tracks with a view to arrival at a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian question and the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the principle of land for peace, the achievement of full Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Arab territories, the restoration to the Palestinian people of its legitimate rights and the establishment of its independent State, with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Ministerial Council calls on the international community, in particular the Security Council and the co-sponsors of the peace process, to persuade Israel not to change the status of Jerusalem with its 1967 boundaries, to comply with the resolutions of international legitimacy concerning Jerusalem and with the imperative requirement not to make any changes in its demographic characteristics during the transitional stage that might prejudice the outcome of talks on its permanent status.

The Council expresses its deep concern that Israel is continuing its attacks on the sovereignty of Lebanon and its displacement of the population of Lebanese villages, in clear violation of international instruments and in a manner incompatible with the peace process in the Middle East.  The Council condemns Israel for the commission of these acts of aggression and calls on the Security Council and the co-sponsors of the Peace Conference to take all possible action to halt these acts of aggression against civilians in Lebanon and to put pressure on Israel to implement resolution 425 (1978) so as to achieve an immediate and unconditional withdrawal from the Lebanese south.

The Council is following with concern the developments in the situation in fraternal Somalia and expresses its hope for the achievement of a national reconciliation that preserves the unity and independence of Somalia.  The Ministerial Council has reviewed developments in the situation in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the light of Serbia's rejection of the peace plan approved by the five-Power Contact Group.  The Council expresses its deep concern that the Serbian forces continue to defy the international community and to commit violations of the United Nations Charter and international law by persisting in the commission of acts of ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina, attacks on United Nations personnel and obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the population of Bosnia.

The Council condemns the heinous Serbian aggression and affirms that the independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina must not, in any circumstance, be made the subject of bargaining and that Sarajevo is its united and indivisible capital.  The Ministerial Council renews its call to the Security Council to prevent the rewarding of aggression, to declare the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole a safe area, to deploy international forces along Bosnia and Herzegovina's borders with Serbia and Montenegro with the aim of halting the influx of military aid, to enable the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina to exercise its right to self-defence in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and, to that end, to lift the arms embargo imposed on it.

In this connection, the Ministerial Council commends the positive and constructive stand taken by the United States of America on the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  The Council also expresses its full support for the request of the Contact Group of the Organization of the Islamic Conference on Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the meetings and activities of the five-Power Contact Group.

The Ministerial Council expresses its deep concern at the continuation of acts of violence and fighting in Afghanistan and appeals to all factions of the Afghan Jihad to place the interest of the Afghan people above all other considerations, halt the fighting and comply with the provisions of the Makkah Agreement.

The Council also reviewed the conclusions of the meetings of the ministerial and technical committees entrusted with the task of making proposals for the implementation of more of the provisions of the Unified Economic Agreement in the areas of uniform customs duties, the proposal of new activities and occupations that nationals of Council States may be permitted to engage in, an increase in the number of companies whose shares may be owned and traded by nationals of the Council States and improvement of the rules for engagement in wholesale trading.  The Council hopes that the committees will conclude their discussions on these topics before the next session of the Supreme Council.

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