By Massoud A. Derhally

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Posted inPolitics & Economics

Bahrain backs closer integration of Gulf states

Minister says EU-style union could protect region from political, economic upheaval

By Massoud A. Derhally
Closer integration within the GCC could help defend the bloc from political upheaval, such as that seen during the Arab Spring.
Closer integration within the GCC could help defend the bloc from political upheaval, such as that seen during the Arab Spring.

GCC states will discuss tomorrow a proposal for a closer political union comparable to that of the EU, AFP reported, citing Bahraini Information Minister Samira Rajab.

“This union could start with two or three” members, the news agency cited Rajab as saying. “In Bahrain, we support setting up a Gulf union to protect us from the threats facing the region on the political, economic, security and military fronts,” she told the news agency.

The GCC, formed in 1981, is made up of six member states and also includes Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Last month, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs urged Gulf states to further integrate and unify in a bid to protect each other from common security threats.

Closer co-operation would allow the GCC to become a more powerful economic bloc, Prince Saud Al-Faisal was quoted as saying, with a GDP exceeding US$14 trillion.

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