Mideast situation/Palestine question – Communiqué by GCC – Letter from Saudi Arabia

Letter dated 17 March 1988 from the Permanent Representative

of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to transmit to you a communiqué issued by the twenty-sixth session of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Co-operation Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would have this letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 136, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Samir S. SHIHABI

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

ANNEX

Communiqué issued by the twenty-sixth session of the Ministerial Council of the

Gulf Co-operation Council, held at Riyadh,

from 27-28 Rajab A.H. 1408 (15-16 March A.D. 1988)

The Ministerial Council held its twenty-sixth session at the headquarters of the Secretariat-General in Riyadh from 27 to 28 Rajab A.H. 1408 (15-16 March A.D. 1988) under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness Prince Sa'ud al-Faisal, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Council's current session.

The Council considered the report of His Royal Highness Prince Sa'ud al-Faisal, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the current session on recent contacts relating to the implementation of Security Council resolution 598 (1987). The Council expressed its appreciation for the efforts made by the office of the Chairman and stressed the importance of his role in implementing the resolution.

The Council also discussed the situation in the region, developments in the Iran-Iraq war and the dangerous escalation represented by the recent flare-up of the war of the cities between the two parties.

The Council also studied the various stages of the contacts which took place in connection with the implementation of Security Council resolution 598 (1987), as well as the progress towards implementation of the resolution which was achieved as a result of those contacts.

In accordance with the resolutions adopted at the Riyadh summit, the Council decided to continue to step up contacts at the international level, particularly with the permanent members of the Security Council, with a view to ensuring the implementation of the Security Council resolution.

The Council also expressed its support for the efforts of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Javier Péres de Cuéllar, towards implementation of the resolution.

The Council considered the current Arab situation and developments in the uprising of the Palestinian Arab people. It praises the mighty Palestinian resistance against the Zionists' continued occupation and their settlement plans and notes with admiration that the courageous resistance and determined steadfastness displayed by the struggling Palestinian Arab people provide convincing proof of its rejection of the status quo policy which the Zionist enemy is endeavouring to impose, as well as of its firm and legitimate adherence to self-determination, by preserving its national identity and exercising its national rights on its own land and soil.

In this connection, the Council took note of the contacts made by the office of the Chairman, on behalf of member states, in gathering world support for the struggle of the people of Palestine and its uprising and decided to maintain support for the uprising in all fields.

The Council also followed with concern the decision of the United States of America to close the Mission of the Palestine Liberation Organization in New York, sharply criticized that decision and expressed its support for the measures taken by the united Nations in that connection.

It calls upon the United States to reconsider the decision, which is incompatible with the agreement concluded between it and the United Nations.

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