Kerry, Gulf leaders discuss steps to secure region,
DOHA (Reuters) – The United States and Gulf Arab allies are cooperating to check destabilization in the region in apparent recognition of their worries that Iran’s nuclear deal will deepen its influence among Arabs, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday
Kerry said after meeting fellow foreign ministers from the six energy-exporting countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Qatar that they agreed that, once fully implemented, the accord would contribute to the region’s security.
But, in apparent acknowledgment of Gulf Arab fears that the regional balance of power may be tilting toward Tehran, Kerry said the discussions also covered “our cooperation in countering the destabilizing activities taking place in the region.”
Most Gulf Arab states worry that Iran’s July 14 accord with the United States and other big powers will usher in detente between Tehran and Washington and embolden the Islamic Republic to support paramilitary allies in the region.
Last month, six world powers agreed to lift sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its uranium enrichment program, which the West suspects was aimed at developing an atomic bomb but which Tehran says is for peaceful energy only.
Kerry told a news conference in the Qatari capital Doha: “Today, my counterparts and I discussed the steps that we will take and how we intend to build an even stronger, more enduring and more strategic partnership with particular focus on our cooperative counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency.” He said the ministers also discussed missile defense and expediting arms transfers. Additional US cooperation with Gulf states would include intelligence-sharing and special forces training.
Iran’s nuclear deal should bring stability and “good neighborliness” rather than interference, Gulf Arab states told Kerry on Monday as they began talks on the merits of its historic accord with world powers.
Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah, welcoming Kerry to Qatar for the talks, said the alliance wanted to spare the region “from any dangers and threats from nuclear weapons.”
This should be done by authorizing the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes in line with international rules, he said, speaking for the GCC as host of the meeting.
“We look forward with hope to the nuclear agreement... leading to the preservation of security and stability in the region, and we emphasize the importance of cooperation with Iran based on principles of good neighborliness, non-interference in internal affairs and solving disputes peacefully.”
In the Qatari capital, Kerry was meeting members of the Gulf Cooperation Council that groups Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, as well as Qatar.
He also will hold trilateral talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, which US officials say will focus on the war in Syria.