Mideast peace process – GCC press communiqué – Letter from Bahrain

Letter dated 19 November 2001 from the Permanent Representative of Bahrain

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the pleasure of enclosing the press communiqué of the twenty-fifth special session of the Ministerial Council of the Cooperation Council for the Gulf Arab States, held at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 23 September 2001 (see annex).

I would appreciate your issuing the present letter and its annex as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 42 and 166, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Jassim M. Buallay

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

Annex to the letter dated 19 November 2001 from the Permanent Representative of Bahrain

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

[Original: Arabic]

Press communiqué issued by the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council

at its twenty-fifth special session, held in Jeddah on 23 September 2001

On Sunday, 23 September 2001, the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held its twenty-fifth special session in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Bahrain and Chairman-in-Office of the Ministerial Council.

The Ministerial Council considered with deep concern the grievous consequences of the devastating attacks on economic and governmental establishments in the United States of America. It voiced its censure and condemnation of these savage acts of terrorism and conveyed its condolences and sympathy to the Government and people of the United States of America and to the families of the victims.

The Ministerial Council affirmed that the GCC States would support and would cooperate fully in international efforts to identify the perpetrators of the terrorist acts and bring them to justice.

In this connection, the Ministerial Council commended the fact that the President of the United States had called upon Americans not to mistreat Arab and Muslim citizens or residents of the country and that he had stated that Islam was a religion of peace and love and one that rejected violence and forbade the killing of innocents and civilians.

The Ministerial Council urged the Security Council and the co-sponsors of the peace process, the United States and the Russian Federation, as well as the European Union and its member States, not to allow preoccupation with the multitude of complications caused by the events in question to prompt disregard for the State terrorism that the Government of Israel practises against the Palestinian people or for its dangerous escalation of the situation in the region. The Council alerted the international community to the need for it to meet its responsibilities and to do its utmost to make strenuous efforts to halt the violence and Israel’s savage practices, to ensure the provision of international protection to the Palestinian people and to end the occupation of all the Arab and Palestinian territories.

The Council expressed its sincere wishes for Almighty God to grant a speedy recovery to His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait, and to accord him bountiful good health so that, together with his brother leaders of the GCC States, he may maintain the propitious course of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

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