GCC says will respect choice of Yemeni people

By REUTERS

03/28/2011

RIYADH - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will respect the choice of Yemen's public as long as it supports security and stability, the secretary general of the political and economic bloc of Gulf countries said on Monday.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state demanding President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down after ruling for 32 years.

"We respect the choices of the Yemeni people to support security and stability and national unity," Secretary-General Abdulrahman al-Attiyah said at a meeting in the Saudi capital.

Yemen is not part of the richer GCC, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.