President receives GCC Secretary General

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan received on Monday at the Al-Rawdha Palace in Al Ain, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Dr. Abdul Latif Bin Rashid Al-Zayyani, in the presence of the President's Representative Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Al-Zayyani briefed the President on the preparations for the forthcoming GCC Summit which will be held in Suadi Arabia in the second half of next December.

He also briefed Sheikh Khalifa on the efforts exerted by member states for enhancing the joint GCC work as well as on a number of other topics of common concern to Gulf countries.

Briefing the president on the details of the Gulf Initiative agreement that aims to end the crisis in Yemen, the Secretary General thanked UAE for its efforts under the wise guidance of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to get all the concerned parties in Yemen sign the agreement.

Sheikh Khalifa reiterated UAE's keenness to support the GCC march and expressed good wishes for the success of the next summit to make more achievements.

The GCC Secretary General commended the wisdom of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan while chairing the 31st GCC summit and its achievements during UAE's presidency of the confederation.

He pointed out that the dossiers prepared by the ministerial councils and special commissions for presenting them to the 31st summit will help to achieve many ambitions of the people in the GCC states.

He also felicitated the government and the people of the UAE on the occasion of the 40th National Day of the UAE.

A number of Sheikhs and senior state officials in the UAE attended the meeting.

President orders release of five men

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered the release of the five men sentenced yesterday by the Federal Supreme Court.

The five were ordered released as part of the pardon issued earlier by Sheikh Khalifa on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the UAE national day.