Cairo: Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Egypt and Jordan praised the commitment of the US in the region following talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The fourth consultative meeting of the foreign ministers of the GCC yesterday (Jan 16, 2007) followed Rice's talks with Kuwait's Prince Sheikh al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah after her visit to Saudi Arabia.

According to the Kuwait News Agency, the ministers praised US commitments to defend the security in the Gulf, the territorial integrity of Iraq and ensuring a fair and inclusive political process engaging all Iraqi communities.

The meeting attendees from Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Emirates as well as Egypt and Jordan  condemned sectarian violence that undermined the ability of the Iraqi people to live in peace and security, and called for the dismantlement of all militias.

They expressed their wish to prevent Iraq from becoming a battleground for regional and international powers and urged all to help end sectarian violence in Iraq.

The ministers also considered the Palestinian-Israeli conflict the central and core problem (of the crises in the Middle East) and that without resolving this conflict the region will not enjoy sustained peace and stability.

They called on Israel and the Palestinians to abide by the 2005 Sharm al-Sheikh Understandings and the Agreement on Movement and Access, and expressed hoped that the December 2006 meeting between the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would be followed by concrete steps in this dialogue.

Before the meet, a joint press conference was held by Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Muhammad Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah and Rice.

Al-Sabah said Kuwait supported the new US plan in Iraq, saying it would bring security and stability in the country and prevent 'an ugly civil war', while Rice reiterated the US belief that a new strategy in Iraq was 'necessary' and 'urgent'.

Kuwaiti and US officials also discussed Iran's nuclear programme, with the Kuwaiti foreign minister hoping Iran would comply with the UN Resolution on Iran's nuclear programme.

Rice's visit to Kuwait is part a regional tour to bolster support for the Middle East peace process. According to analysts, another big aim of Rice's tour is gaining support for President George W. Bush's new strategy in Iraq.

The new Iraq plan, announced last Wednesday, foresees the sending of an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq to end ongoing violence in the country.

The plan has drawn fire from centre-left Democrats and some members of Bush's own Republican party.