MANAMA DEC. 6 (BNA) GCC NATIONALS STILL SEE THAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE GCC JOINT COOPERATION HAVE NOT MET ASPIRED LEVELS TOWARDS FULL INTEGRATION YET.
SOME VIEW THAT THE 25 YEARS OF THE GULF COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FOR ACHIEVING ASPIRED INTEGRATION. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE PROUD OF JOINT GULF ACHIEVEMENTS AND ASSETS, GCC PEOPLE THINK THAT THE CURRENT SITUATION REQUIRES IMMEDIATE EFFORT TO RESOLVE MANY JOINT ISSUES THAT FULFILL THEIR EXPECTATIONS. FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, GULF CITIZENS ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT THE GCC SUMMIT HOSTED BY RIYADH ON DECEMBER 9 AND 10 WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN COMPLETING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF JOINT GCC EFFORTS IN POLITICS, ECONOMICS, EDUCATION AND OTHER FIELDS CONSIDERED AS PRIORITIES. ON ECONOMIC LEVEL, GULF CITIZENS HOPE THAT THE 27TH SUMMIT WILL ISSUE CONCLUSIVE DECISIONS SERVING ECONOMIC INTEGRATION. THESE INCLUDE THE ISSUANCE OF THE UNIFIED CURRENCY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THE COMPLETION OF THE PROCESS OF THE GCC COMMON MARKET. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF NATIONAL WORKFORCES ACROSS THE GCC WHILE GRANTING THEM THE SAME PRIVILEGES AS CITIZENS AND FOCUSING ON NATIONAL MANPOWER INSTEAD OF EXPATRIATES. GCC NATIONALS ALSO HOPE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF PREVIOUS SUMMITS ON SETTING A UNIFIED TRADE POLICY FOR THE GCC TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE WORLD AS A SINGLE ECONOMIC ENTITY. ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SCALE, EDUCATION TOPS THE LIST OF INTERESTS OF GULF CITIZENS. MEMBER STATES ARE EXPECTED TO ADOPT ADVANCED STEPS TO PROMOTE BOTH HIGHER AND GENERAL EDUCATION THROUGH A JOINT AGREEMENT ON NEW CURRICULA THAT COPE WITH THE MODERN ERA AND BENEFIT FROM INTERNATIONAL SPECIALIZED INSTITUTES AND UNIVERSITIES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH IS ALSO CONSIDERED AN ESSENTIAL ISSUE AS GULF CITIZENS LOOK FORWARD TO PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS THAT ENABLE THE EXCHANGE OF ADVANCED MEDICAL EXPERIENCES IN THE GULF REGION. THIS LEADS TO INTEGRATION IN THE HEALTH SECTOR BRINGING ABOUT DEVELOPED HEALTH SERVICES. UNIFIED IMPORT OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND DRUGS ALSO COMES WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK. MEANWHILE, GULF CITIZENS STILL LOOK FORWARD TO THE START OF EFFORTS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A UNIFIED GULF PASSPORT FACILITATING FREE MOVEMENT ACROSS THE AREA USING IDENTITY CARDS WITHOUT ANY OBSTACLES LIKE IN THE CASE OF EU COUNTRIES. THE ECONOMIC UNION ACHIEVED BY THE EU IN JUST A FEW YEARS COULD POSSIBLY BE MATERIALIZED IN THE GCC IN THE PRESENCE OF SERIOUS JOINT EFFORTS AND TRUE COOPERATION. MOREOVER, THE CRITICAL STAGE EXPERIENCED BY THE REGION IN GENERAL REQUIRES THE GCC TO TAKE RAPID STEPS TOWARDS THE ADOPTION OF STANCE SUPPORTING UNITY AND ABLE TO CONFRONT ANY CHANGES OR CHALLENGES. IT IS INEVITABLE THAT THE REGION IS WITNESSING A HISTORICAL TURNING POINT ON POLITICAL, MILITARY, SECURITY AND ECONOMIC LEVELS. IN LIGHT OF THESE CHANGES, PEOPLE OF THE GCC LONG FOR A UNITY THAT PROTECTS THEM FROM ANY NEGATIVE IMPACTS. NTQ/MT 06-DEC-2006 19:45