Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said on Thursday he did not receive any offer on Egypt's joining the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The minister made his comments before returning home at the end of his visit to the US where he attended the 66th session of the UN General Assembly.
The Kuwaiti daily newspaper Al-Watan reported on Thursday that Gulf states are discussing the possibility of making Egypt an active member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
If Egypt’s membership is approved, it will be the third state outside of the Gulf region to the join the council after Jordan and Morocco, which were added in May.
Al-Watan quoted diplomatic sources as saying that some Gulf states are enthusiastic about Egypt's potential membership given the country's strategic ties with Gulf countries and its ability to contribute to regional stability. Supporters believe that developments in Iraq and the Iranian intervention in its affairs highlight the importance of the Egypt's participation, the sources added.
During preliminary deliberations, the Kuwaiti newspaper explained, Egypt has welcomed the idea of joining the council “within the frame of economic, security and cultural cooperation out of a belief in the importance of joint Arab action.”
