GCC to discuss accession of Jordan, Morocco

2011-09-09

RIYADH - The foreign ministers of Jordan and Morocco are to hold talks with their six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council counterparts on possible accession to the Gulf bloc, the GCC chief said on Thursday.

Abdulatif al-Zayani said in a statement the foreign ministers of Jordan and Morocco have been invited to discuss the "strengthening of relations and cooperation" on the sidelines of a GCC meeting on Sunday in Saudi Arabia.

The discussions in the port city of Jeddah would focus on implementing decisions taken at a May meeting of the GCC where the organization announced that both monarchies would be considered for membership of the bloc.

The oil-rich Arab states of the Gulf, which have seen entrenched regimes in Egypt and Tunisia fall, are seeking reliable allies in the region, singling out fellow monarchies.

Thousands of retired Jordanian army officers have obtained citizenship in the Gulf states and hold important positions in the region's armed forces.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=47988.