RIYADH, Aug 5 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of six Gulf
Arab countries will meet in September to discuss a plan for
closer integration of the mostly Sunni Muslim monarchies, Saudi
Arabia's English-language Arab News reported on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah proposed last December that the
Gulf Cooperation Council, which also includes Kuwait, Qatar,
Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, should move "to the
stage of unity in a single entity" in response to uprisings in
the Arab world and the perceived threat from Iran.
"The initiative to move to a Gulf union will be discussed by
the GCC foreign ministers when they convene next month," said
Abdulatif al-Zayani, the group's secretary general, in comments
carried by Arab News.
He added that a commission set up in December to investigate
the plan had finished its work, which had been submitted to the
countries' foreign ministers.
In the lead-up to a summit in May this year, some Gulf
officials had said they expected an announcement at the meeting
of some form of closer union, possibly involving only Saudi
Arabia and Bahrain. But the group delayed any decision to future
meetings.
Speaking after the summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince
Saud al-Faisal said any move towards union would include all the
countries and that integration of only Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
was not on the table.
Of the six countries, only Bahrain was hit by major unrest
during the Arab uprisings last year, as its Shi'ite Muslim
majority rebelled against the Sunni government in a wave of
protests that has continued into 2012.
There were also some protests in Oman, prompting a cabinet
reshuffle and extra social spending by the government.
Saudi Arabia, the largest of the six countries by size,
population and economy, largely escaped the turmoil, although
there have been persistent protests among members of its Shi'ite
minority.
The GCC countries have accused regional Shi'ite power Iran
of instigating the unrest among members of the sect in Bahrain
and Saudi Arabia, charges that both Tehran and the protesters
have denied.
Tensions with Iran have intensified as it and the GCC
countries have backed different sides in the violent rebellion
roiling Syria.
Speaking on April 28, Prince Saud said the GCC countries
should integrate their foreign and military policy to present a
more united front.
But when leaders of the countries met in May, differences
emerged over how to move forward, Gulf officials and analysts
said at the time.
Zayani said a lot of differences had now been resolved, Arab
News reported. It did not elaborate.
(Reporting by Angus McDowall; Editing by Jon Hemming)