TEHRAN, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday left Tehran to attend the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Qatar's capital Doha, the official news agency IRNA reported.

    It would be the first time that an Iranian leader has been invited to the annual summit of the six oil-rich Gulf Arab states. This year's summit is slated for Dec. 3-4 in Doha.

    "All regional states should work hand in hand to make the Gulf region a place for peace and amity," Ahmadinejad told reporters before his departure for Doha on Monday morning.

    "We have proposals for promotion of regional cooperation and relations which we will put forward during the summit," the Iranian president added.

    In addition to taking part in the GCC summit, Ahmadinejad would hold separate meetings with heads of state of the Gulf littoral countries, IRNA reported.

    Ahmadinejad reiterated that promotion of all-out regional cooperation was part of Iran's foreign policy during the past three decades.

    "The Iranian nation will always be happy for progress of its neighboring states," Ahmadinejad said. "Iran has many plans for promotion of ties and cooperation with its neighbors in the Gulf region."

    The GCC groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).