The Gulf Co-operation Council Ministerial meeting also saw praise for the emergency Arab League session in Doha on Tuesday.

Gulf Arab states have echoed calls to be included in the Iran nuclear talks, citing concerns over Tehran’s missile programme and its “destabilising behaviour.”

In a statement following the GCC ministerial meeting in Riyadh, Gulf states said they should be involved in negotiations with Iran and are ready to “cooperate and deal seriously and effectively with the Iranian nuclear file … on the basis of respect for sovereignty and good neighbourliness”.

World powers and Iran kicked off a sixth round of the Vienna nuclear talks on Saturday to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] following former President Donald Trump’s withdrawal in 2018.

Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] member states opposed this as it neglected to tackle their concerns and include their interests.

The bloc urged powers involved in the talks to secure a deal with stricter restrictions and to “link it with practical steps to build trust” in order to prevent further conflict in the region.

The statement stressed “the danger of separating implications of the nuclear deal” from Iran’s missiles programme and support for regional proxies, and urged Tehran to engage seriously with talks and avoid escalations.

Iran previously condemned a statement issued by the GCC that called for the bloc to participate in ongoing nuclear talks, calling the statement “irresponsible and immature.”

“Their goal in bringing up such statements is to not ask for participation but to disrupt the process of technical talks in Vienna,” said Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh.

Read also: Ethiopia rejects Arab League resolution on Renaissance Dam

At the the GCC Ministerial meeting, member states also welcomed the conclusion of the emergency Arab League session held in Doha on Tuesday. The meeting called on protecting water security in both Sudan and Egypt, affirming that this was part of Arab National Security.

This priority was also echoed in a statement released at the 148th session of the GCC Ministerial Council.

The ministerial meeting also saw support and assistance to the GCC nations to solving the dispute of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

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