DATE=12/22/97 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-224424 TITLE=GULF SUMMIT (L ONLY) BYLINE=JESSICA JONES DATELINE=CAIRO CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: LEADERS OF THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL HAVE CALLED ON IRAQ TO ABIDE BY U-N RESOLUTIONS SO ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ CAN BE ENDED. JESSICA JONES REPORTS FROM OUR MIDDLE EAST BUREAU. TEXT: GULF LEADERS CONCLUDED THREE DAYS OF MEETINGS IN KUWAIT (MONDAY) WITH A FINAL COMMUNIQUE THAT EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT WHAT IT CALLED THE -- DANGEROUS ESCALATION -- OF TENSION BETWEEN IRAQ AND THE UNITED NATIONS. IT SAID LEADERS OF THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL, OR G-C-C, HAD -- DEEP CONCERN -- OVER ALLEGATIONS BY U-N INSPECTORS THAT IRAQ IS CONCEALING BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS. IT CALLED ON THE BAGHDAD GOVERNMENT TO COOPERATE FULLY WITH INSPECTION TEAMS, AND IT SAID IRAQ MUST PROVE ITS GOOD INTENTIONS TOWARD KUWAIT AND THE REGION'S OTHER COUNTRIES. IRAQ HAS BEEN UNDER U-N SANCTIONS SINCE IT INVADED KUWAIT IN 1990. THE UNITED NATIONS HAS SAID THE SANCTIONS WILL NOT BE ENDED UNTIL IRAQ HAS ELIMINATED ITS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. THE COMMUNIQUE ALSO MENTIONED -- IN ITS WORDS -- POSITIVE INDICATIONS AND STATEMENTS FROM IRANIAN OFFICIALS AIMED AT IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH GULF COUNTRIES. IT SAID THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES HAS ACCEPTED A PROPOSAL BY IRANIAN LEADER MOHAMMED KHATAMI TO DISCUSS DISPUTES OVER SEVERAL ISLANDS ALONG THEIR COMMON BORDER. G-C-C SECRETARY-GENERAL JAMIL AL-HOJEILAN TOLD REPORTERS THAT GULF LEADERS HAVE APPROVED A PLAN TO UNIFY TARIFFS AND CONNECT POWER SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, WHICH SOME SAY COULD BE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD CREATING A GULF COMMON MARKET. THE G--CC WAS FOUNDED IN 1981. IT GROUPS SAUDI ARABIA, KUWAIT, QATAR, BAHRAIN, OMAN, AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES IN AN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ALLIANCE. (SIGNED) NEB/JJ/JWH 22-Dec-97 10:46 AM EST (1546 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
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