GCC Leaders Agree to Strengthen Economic Pressure on Assad and His Allies

The leaders of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) on Wednesday agreed to strengthen the economic measures aimed to pressure against Syria and its allies, the final statement of the GCC's 37th summit said.

MANAMA (Sputnik) — The GCC also supported elaboration of a single position of an international community in regard to Assad and his allies, including Moscow and Tehran, in order to make make them support the "real political process" that should end the violence in the Middle Eastern country and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, the statement added.

"The leaders agreed to increase the regional pressure on the regime of [Syrian President Bashar] Assad and his allies through strengthening of financial and economic limitations," the statement said.

According to the statement, the GCC leaders voiced the need to contribute to the political settlement of the ongoing Syrian crisis.

The GCC is an economic and military alliance of the Middle East nations – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, aiming at fostering economic and military cooperation between the states. Riyadh hosts the headquarters of the GCC, chaired by Qatar. The 37th summit of the GCC was held in Bahrain's capital on December 6-7.