GCC Secretary-General Abdulrahman Al Attiyah is optimistic that the UAE and Oman will join the GCC monetary union in the future.

The UAE and Oman withdrawing from the monetary union does not mean that they will be discounted, Al Attiyah told our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej in an exclusive interview, on the eve of the 29th anniversary of the establishment of the council.

The GCC has taken important steps towards launching a common currency, he added.

He said that the GCC railway network is expected to be operational by 2017, with the network authority likely to be declared next year.

GCC states stand firmly with Yemen’s unity, security and stability and will continue their economic and political backing of Yemen, he affirmed.

The GCC states have entered a new stage of integrity and unity, said Al Attiyah.

The global financial crunch has underscored the need for GCC economic unity, he said, pointing out that it will not reflect negatively on the member states.

The GCC called on Iran to positively respond to efforts to reach a political agreement over its nuclear activities. Al Attiyah pointed out that some GCC states signing agreements with Iran are not considered out of context.

The GCC welcomes the international efforts, notably the 5+1 group and the International Atomic Energy Agency to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis through diplomatic means, hoping that Iran will positively respond to such efforts, said Al Attiyah.

The final status of the customs union will be declared early next year, Al Attiyah added.-TradeArabia News Service