Manama: Oman onboard or not, the transition from Gulf Co-operation Council to GCC Union emerged as unbeatable process which enjoys support of the majority of the people of the bloc, HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal told the participants of the 9th IISS Manama Dialogue.
“Oman has the right to be onboard with other GCC peers on Union issue but this is going to happen,” HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Chairman of the Board, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Saudi Arabia while responding to a question during a plenary session of IISS Manama Dialogue said.
“The transition from GCC as a bloc to Union is a will of people and nothing can deter this process of establishment of the GCC Union,” he added.
HRH Prince Faisal Al Turki also rejected the criticism on the GCC as a bloc and said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sees GCC as a blessing.
The plenary session titled ‘International interests in the Middle East security and non-proliferation’ and addressed by Salman Khurshid Minister for External Affairs, India, HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Chairman of the Board, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Saudi ArabiaSeyed Hossein Mousavian Associate Research Scholar, Princeton University; former Head, Foreign Relations Committee, Supreme National Security Council, Iran Dr Gary Samore Executive Director for Research, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University, US.
Prince Turki said that given geo-strategic position of the GCC the international international players`interest in the region determine by a country to country.