THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL MEETS

THE FOREIGN MINISTERS of the six member Gulf Cooperation Council met in Taif on August 31st to begin the first working-level discussions on overall policy matters for the Council. The meeting, opened by Prince Saud al Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister, was gathered together to discuss, quite predictably, Gulf security, Prince Fahd's proposals for a Middle East peace settlement, and the steps to be taken to link the six member countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar) in an economic grouping on similar lines to the European Community.