Washington, DC – America and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have launched a joint assertion, spelling out shared priorities and discovering widespread floor even on points the place the 2 don’t usually see eye to eye.
The communique on Thursday got here after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended a GCC assembly as a part of his go to this week to Saudi Arabia.
Within the assertion, the US underscored its “enduring dedication” to the Gulf area regardless of considerations about its waning affect within the Center East in an more and more multipolar world, the place Washington is popping its foreign-policy focus to competitors with China.
Right here Al Jazeera appears to be like at key takeaways from the prolonged assertion, which addresses an array of regional and international crises.
Two-state answer ‘alongside 1967 borders’
The assertion requires a two-state answer to the Israeli-Palestinian battle “alongside 1967 borders with mutually agreed swaps in step with internationally acknowledged parameters and the Arab Peace Initiative”. These phrases would guarantee a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Financial institution, together with occupied East Jerusalem.
The initiative, endorsed by the Arab League in 2002, makes the Arab states’ recognition of Israel conditional on ending the occupation of Arab territories and discovering a “truthful answer” to the plight of Palestinian refugees.
This isn’t the primary time the administration of US President Joe Biden has invoked the 1967 borders as a foundation for resolving the battle.
We recognize the Gulf Cooperation Council @GCC’s partnership, together with our pressing work collectively on the state of affairs in Sudan, looking for a sturdy answer to the battle in Yemen, and countering Iran’s destabilizing conduct. pic.twitter.com/xaGQvV6HK3
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 7, 2023
However the assertion marks a uncommon written endorsement of that framework from a US administration that has repeatedly mentioned it considers Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital.
Former President Donald Trump moved the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in violation of worldwide legislation — a call that the present administration has pledged to not reverse.
Biden has additionally failed to satisfy a marketing campaign promise to reopen a consulate for Palestinians within the holy metropolis amid Israeli opposition.
The US offers no less than $3.8bn in army support to Israel yearly.
No point out of Israel normalisation
Blinken had made no secret of his intention to push for formal relations between Israel and Arab states — notably Saudi Arabia — throughout his journey.
In a speech earlier this week, he mentioned Washington has a “actual nationwide safety curiosity in selling normalisation” between Israel and the dominion.
Addressing the GCC on Wednesday, Blinken reiterated that the US is “collaborating with nations within the area to widen and deepen the normalisation of relations with Israel”.
However the joint assertion on Thursday made no point out of Arab-Israeli normalisation.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — two GCC members — in addition to Morocco agreed to provoke diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020 as a part of a push brokered by Trump. Sudan additionally agreed to affix the normalisation pact, generally known as the so-called Abraham Accords.
Saudi officers have mentioned beforehand that they’re dedicated to the Arab Peace Initiative, which hyperlinks Arab-Israeli ties to the institution of an unbiased Palestinian state.
Welcoming Saudi-Iranian ties
The US-GCC joint assertion unambiguously welcomed the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Previous US statements had proven cautious backing at greatest for the Chinese language-brokered deal that noticed the 2 nations restore bilateral ties.
“The Ministers welcomed the choice by Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations and burdened the significance of adherence to worldwide legislation, together with the UN Constitution, by states of the area,” Thursday’s assertion mentioned.
Earlier this week, US Division of State spokesperson Vedant Patel advised reporters that the US “will surely take subject with nations which can be going to take steps to additional normalise or deepen their collaboration with or cooperation with the Iranian regime”.
In a subsequent e mail to Al Jazeera, a State Division spokesperson mentioned Patel was merely referring to the US dedication with its allies “to confront the Iranian regime’s destabilizing conduct within the area and its human rights abuses at house”.
“As we now have been clear, we now have lengthy inspired direct dialogue and diplomacy, together with between Iran and regional governments,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Thursday’s joint assertion voiced dedication to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and referred to as on Iran to cooperate with the United Nations watchdog, the Worldwide Atomic Power Company (IAEA).
Frequent floor on Syria
The Biden administration has beforehand brazenly voiced opposition to its Arab allies’ drive to rekindle ties with the Syrian authorities of President Bashar al-Assad.
However the sides appeared to seek out consensus on Thursday, saying that they help a political decision to the disaster that preserves Syria’s unity, in accordance with UN Safety Council Decision 2254, which calls at no cost elections within the nation.
“In that regard, the Ministers welcomed Arab efforts to resolve the disaster in a step-for-step method,” the communique learn.
Notably, the assertion additionally expressed help for the US army presence in Syria, which Washington says goals to make sure that ISIL (ISIS) doesn’t reemerge, however which Damascus calls unlawful.
“Ministers additional condemned all actions that threaten the security and safety of those forces,” the assertion learn.
The US and the GCC additionally reasserted help for guaranteeing circumstances for the “secure, dignified and voluntary return of refugees” to Syria and referred to as for a nationwide ceasefire within the nation.
Obscure assertion on Ukraine
The communique burdened territorial integrity and worldwide legislation with out explicitly condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“The Ministers reaffirmed the significance of respecting the precept of sovereignty and worldwide legislation, together with the UN Constitution and the duty to chorus from the risk or use of drive in opposition to the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” the assertion mentioned.
Many Gulf states have taken a impartial strategy to the battle as Washington tried to unify its allies in opposition to Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed an Arab League summit in Jeddah final month and urged help for his nation. However Thursday’s assertion remained basic, emphasising the Gulf states’ give attention to the humanitarian, although not political, dimensions of the battle.
“The Ministers urged all nations and the worldwide neighborhood to accentuate their efforts geared toward attaining a peaceable answer, ending the humanitarian disaster, and supporting refugees, displaced individuals and others affected by the warfare in Ukraine, in addition to facilitating the export of grain and different meals provides, and supporting meals safety in affected nations,” it mentioned.
