Ahmadinejad to Attend PGCC Summit

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to attend the upcoming summit of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) slated for Dec. 3-4 in Qatar’s capital Doha. Mojtaba Hashemi Samareh Hashemi, a senior aide to the president, was quoted by IRNA as saying on Friday that it was the first time that an Iranian president was invited to the annual summit of the six oil-rich Persian Gulf Arab states.

Ahmadinejad’s visit was aimed at strengthening ties with countries of the region, Hashemi said, adding that there were ample opportunities for cooperation in the region and the visit will be used to the benefit of further deliberations and cooperation with these countries.

The presence of the Iranian president in the summit signifies the political will of Iran and the Persian Gulf states to bolster cooperation among them, said Hashemi.

The PGCC groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).