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Rice, Gulf State Foreign Ministers Meet in Abu Dhabi
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1119EE9:3919ACA Joint statement
issued after meeting said discussions included nuclear proliferation,
necessity to keep Gulf region free of weapons of mass destruction





Condoleezza Rice, poses in meeting with UAE Foreign Minister, Sheik
Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, not shown, in Abu DhabiU.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice has met with foreign ministers of the Gulf
Cooperation Council to discuss a range of issues in the Middle East.

In a joint statement issued late Thursday in the United Arab Emirates,
the parties said their discussions included nuclear proliferation in
the area. They reaffirmed the necessity to keep the Gulf region free
of weapons of mass destruction.

Regarding Iraq, the statement emphasized the need for a broad-based
and inclusive Iraqi government to guarantee the nation's stability.

Secretary Rice and the Gulf states foreign ministers also urged Israel
and the Palestinians to implement the so-called "road map" to Mideast
peace.

She had stopped overnight in Abu Dhabi on the final leg of her Middle
East tour, which had taken her to Cairo, Riyadh and Beirut.

The Gulf Cooperation Council promotes stability and economic
cooperation among Persian Gulf nations. It includes Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Some
information for this report was provided by AFP.


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