Foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states pose for a photo during the preparatory session of the 36th GCC Summit in Riyadh on Monday evening. Adel Al-Jubeir, minister of foreign affairs, chaired the session that will finalize the agenda of the Summit, which will be held on Wednesday. — SPA

Riyadh is adorned to host the 36th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, which will discuss ways and means to fight the menace of terrorism, and brainstorm on other key regional issues including conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

The 36th session of the the six-nation GCC’s Supreme Council will kick off Wednesday amid elaborate civil and security arrangements in the capital. The summit will conclude Thursday.

The Cabinet meeting chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman here on Monday welcomed the GCC leaders to the summit at the 36th session, which will also commend achievements of the GCC states besides discussing key issues.

Riyadh police have stepped up security at the venue and on roads leading to the GCC headquarters. “All arrangements have been made for the summit,” a Riyadh police spokesman said Monday. City roads including the airport road and Khurais Road leading to the venue have been decorated with the national flags of member countries and welcome banners, especially on main intersections on the route.

Gearing up for the key summit, the GCC held preparatory meetings of the drafting committee and the fight against terrorism topped the agenda for the upcoming summit.

“Fighting terrorism is at the forefront of the concerns of GCC leaders and will be among the top priorities to be discussed at the 36th GCC summit,” a GCC official said, adding that the group considers terrorism to be contrary to the teachings of Islam and its humanitarian values.

Earlier, GCC Secretary-General Abdullateef Al-Zayani toured the Gulf states to hold talks with top leaders and officials with the aim to finalize the agenda.

The Kingdom has also invited leading members of the Syrian opposition to attend meetings in Riyadh from Dec. 11 to 14 in order to discuss a united front against the Assad regime ahead of possible peace negotiations seeking a solution to the nearly five-year conflict that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced millions.

The GCC countries have warmly welcomed the plan to host Syrian opposition factions, describing it as an amicable option to realize the aspirations of the Syrian people for stability and security in their country, and in the Middle East as a whole. The GCC countries — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain — are an integral part of the international coalition led by the US fighting against Daesh and all forms of terrorism.

Flags of GCC countries flutter with a welcome banner ahead of the 36th summit in Riyadh.

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