ABU DHABI, Dec. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Gulf Arab countries vowed here Saturday that they will spare no effort to reinforce stability and security in both Lebanon and Syria.

   Abdul Rahman al-Attiya, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), made the remarks at a press conference after a meeting of GCC foreign ministers which was designed to hammer out the agenda of an upcoming summit of the Gulf Arab alliance.

   "The GCC is keen to offer assistance necessary to bring about stability and security to both Lebanon and Syria," Attiya told the reporters.

   "The GCC states are concerned about Lebanon and what is happening there is not an easy thing," he added.

   Voicing the alliance's strong condemnation of the killing of Lebanese former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri and other recent assassinations of Lebanese political and social figures, the GCC chief said that the bloc extended support for Lebanon in this context. 

   The Lebanese-Syrian relations and Damascus' cooperation with the United Nations concerning the investigation into Hariri's assassination are closely watched by the GCC which groups Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

   But the issues, drawing world attention, will not be formally on the agenda of the two-day GCC summit, due to kick off in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, according to Omani Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, who said that it is more proper for the Arab League to discuss the issues.

   Well-informed sources said GCC countries, eager to maintain regional stability and sovereignty of both Syria and Lebanon, would try to exert efforts to urge Damascus to fully cooperate with the UN investigation to avoid more unrest in the region already troubled by violence-plagued Iraq.

   Saudi Arabia, key member of the GCC, has played a significant role in persuading Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to cooperate with the UN inquiry into the assassination of Hariri.

   Hariri, who was killed in a huge car bomb attack on Feb. 14, was a close ally of the Saudi royal family. The killing led to large anti-Syria protests in Lebanon and eventually the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in April.

   A latest UN report released early this week said Syria's cooperation with the international investigation into Hariri's killing was slow-paced and that five Syrian officials questioned by the UN in Vienna were suspects.

   The report came shortly after a car bomb killed Lebanese newspaper magnate and anti-Syrian legislator Gebran Tueni in
Beirut.

   The UN Security Council then demanded Damascus to offer full and all necessary cooperation with the international probe.

   Syria denies any role in the attacks and dismissed the UN charge of slow cooperation as "inaccurate".  

   Founded in May 1981, the GCC is a key regional political and economic alliance, which strives to unite fronts in dealing with internal and international challenges.  Enditem