The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have agreed to create a joint force for quick intervention to address security threats, GCC Secretary-General Abdulrahman Al Attiya said on Tuesday.

The Sultanate’s delegation to the 30th GCC Summit was led by HH Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, on behalf of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said. Fahd returned home later in the evening.

Fahd sent a cable of thanks to Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait. He also sent similar thanks cables to senior officials. In his cables, Fahd expressed his honour and that of his accompanying delegation to take part in the summit on behalf of His Majesty the Sultan, wishing them continuous success.

Fahd also commended the meetings and their outcomes, positive impacts of which will be reflected in achieving further development for the GCC states and their people. He also expressed thanks and appreciation and that of his accompanying delegation for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to them. Fahd affirmed the strong and deep ties between the Sultanate of Oman and Kuwait, thanks to the wise leaderships of both the countries.

The GCC leaders expressed their appreciation for the great and sincere efforts exerted by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, Chairman of the last session of the Supreme Council, the Omani government and the Omani people. The GCC leaders commended His Majesty the Sultan’s follow up of the implementation of the Supreme Council’s decisions and praised the important steps and achievements that pushed forward the GCC joint cooperation to achieve more welfare and prosperity for the GCC people.

The leaders “decided to set up a rapid deployment task force to deter any aggression on any GCC member”, Attiyah said without providing details. But he said the force was not because of Saudi fight against Yemeni rebels.

Winding up the summit held under the chairmanship of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, the leaders also issued joint statements to back Saudi Arabia in its fight against Yemeni rebels and opposition to military action against Iran. But economic issues were at the forefront of the two-day talks.

The GCC states also brushed off mounting economic threats including Iraq’s plans to massively boost oil output.

Kuwait said it offered to assist Dubai to repay huge liabilities of its conglomerate Dubai World, but the summit stressed it only dealt with the Dubai’s debt woes in the context of the global recession.

“The summit welcomes efforts taken by the member states to contain the impacts of the global economic crisis and expresses confidence in the strength of the Gulf economies and their capabilities to overcome the impacts of the crisis,” the Kuwait Declaration, a final summit communiqué, said.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Sabah said: “We are not threatened by Iraq’s plans to expand its oil production.”

The leaders also decided to take the bullish step of establishing a monetary council and asked its board of directors to take all the necessary measures to issue the single currency.

They did not set a deadline for the introduction of the single currency, with Sheikh Mohammed only saying the project was “on the right track”.

Sheikh Mohammed said the GCC has not decided on the peg of the single currency.

“Our ultimate aim is to create a common Gulf market that is capable of absorbing external economic shocks,” said the Kuwaiti minister, whose country will be the president of the GCC for the coming year.

The summit officially confirmed earlier reports that said the target date to launch GCC single currency in early 2010 was too ambitious and unrealistic.

Turning to political issues, the GCC leaders also affirmed “total backing for Saudi Arabia in facing the aggressions by armed infiltrators, express total solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support its right to defend its territories.”

Addressing a news conference after the summit, Kuwait’s foreign minister said the Gulf states opposed any military action against Iran over its nuclear programme.

“We do not accept any military action against Iran,” Sheikh Mohammed said, adding however that alliance members urged Iran to comply with international resolutions.

The Kuwait Declaration said its leaders welcome “international efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear programme crisis through peaceful means”.

Al Attiyah said the leaders decided to remove all obstacles obstructing the full implementation of the Gulf customs union launched in 2003.

The summit also postponed a decision on a proposed multi-billion-dollar railway network and asked the ministers of finance to complete feasibility studies.

The 2,000-km network, estimated to cost up to $ 25 billion, is planned to link Kuwait in the north with the Sultanate of Oman in the south, while passing through the remaining four states.

Attiyah also said the summit decided to appoint a new secretary-general from Bahrain when his term expires in April 2011. The next summit will be held in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi.

Delivering a speech at the summit, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and welcomed the GCC leaders in the coming summit next year.

Meanwhile, Fahd was seen off at Kuwait International Airport by several Kuwaiti government officials.

Fahd was received upon his return by HE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Salmi, Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs; HE Sheikh Salim Bin Hilal Al Khalili, Minister of Agriculture; HE Hamed Bin Mohammed Al Rashdi, Minister of Information; HE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salim Al Rowas, Minister of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources; Her Excellency Dr Sharifa Bint Khalfan Al Yahyaeiyah, Minister of Social Development, HE Sayyid Khalid Bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers; HE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Bakri, Minister of Manpower, and the Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Kuwait in the Sultanate.

Fahd was accompanied by an official delegation comprising: HE Yousuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs; HE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Hinai, Minister of Justice; HE Ahmed Bin Abdulnabi Macki, Minister of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council; HE Dr Ali Bin Mohammed Bin Moosa, Minister of Health; HE Maqbool Bin Ali Bin Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry; HE Sheikh Salim Bin Suhail Al Ma’ashani, the Sultanate’s Ambassador to Kuwait, and a number of government officials.