The Kingdom of Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, earlier said that there were essential developments in this aspect which embody awareness of hazards of any failure to deal with regional challenges, asserting that Bahrain had welcomed the Saudi proposal in favor of the Gulf Union and will contribute considerably in expediting the process of ratification of the Gulf Union as soon as studies and discussions have been finalized for this purpose.
The proposal was initiated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has been studied and endorsed, according to the Minister, and includes basic foundations for the awaited Gulf Union’s project, and reliant upon a resolution of the 123rd GCC Ministerial meeting it was requested the finalization of studying the proposal and the report of the ad hoc committee as well as views of all six GCC-member states regarding any proposed modifications to this new system.
The Minister highlighted the remarkable developments including:
Transforming from the phase of cooperation to the phase of the union has become imminent and requires the revision of but a few procedural and organizational matters in order to satisfy aspirations of the peoples of the Arabian Gulf countries.
Bahrain has already appointed its representatives to the new entity in order to realize the proposal on real grounds.
The Gulf Union’s basic foundation constitutes the articles of association of the awaited for the awaited Union which ensure expediting the wheels to agree on the requirements for launching the Union, particularly logistical and political requirements, for a solid base, infrastructure, as per a specific timetable to realize the concept of a “Gulf Confederation” akin to the European Union, drawing from the GCC experience over the last thirty years or so.
The Gulf Union embodies the GCC leaders’ and citizens’ aspirations and dream in terms of integration, cohesion, solidarity, unity and sustainable development.
The Gulf Union is akin to the EU, ASEAN, etc. which makes it imperative on countries of the Arabian Gulf to become united in order to surmount conflicts, hazards, crises, etc.
The GCC countries expect their population to be circa 53 million by 2020, having a $1.1 trillion GDP and 40% of the global oil reserves and $1.7 trillion in sovereign funds which is more than one-third of the world’s total sovereign funds; and, last but not least there are external unrealistically apprehensive and adamantly hostile external sides that had been fearful of the Gulf Cooperation Council and which are also now suspicious of the imminent Gulf Union. These sides have conspired in order to obliterate the whole Arabian and Islamic identity of the GCC peoples and this conspiracy makes the Gulf Union much more of an imperative necessity than just a dream.