The Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) which was founded in the early 1980s in the wake of crucial changes in the region has been trying to forge unity among the southern countries of the Persian Gulf, but on the ground it has made little headway in fulfilling its main objective.

There are various reasons which account for the failure of this regional organization to achieve its objectives. Although the PGCC was established in the 1980s, the milieu for regional cooperation became absolutely ripe in the post-Cold War era. As a result of the collapse of the bipolar world order, several regional organizations flourished, for the leaders of the member countries conceived that regional cooperation would be the order of the day in the absence of bipolarism.

What are the reasons for the failure of the PGCC in its endeavor to forge unity in the region?

Indeed, the PGCC was founded under particular circumstances. Hence the founding members did not conceive of inviting Iran or even Iraq -- an Arab country -- to join the council.

The very omission of Iran -- for whatever reason -- from the regional grouping became the stumbling block of this regional organization. Perhaps during those days it was not possible for the founders of the PGCC to conceive that Iran's membership in it would be a positive point for the organization. But the unfolding of events, particularly the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and Iran's stance on the event, proved that exclusion of Iran was a miscalculation.

Moreover, the unbridled atrocities of the Zionist regime against the Palestinians and Iran's detente policy have shed more light on Iran's position and attitude toward its Arab brethren.

Since 1997 when Iran hosted the OIC summit and became its chairman, the Arab countries have better realized Iran's role in the region.

Iran and Saudi Arabia, the most powerful Arab country in the region, have already reached an agreement to forge a defense alliance. It is an appropriate opportunity for the PGCC to work on this proposal to forge a defense alliance between Iran and other PGCC members in order to maintain the security of the region.

Iran has already announced that it is ready to hold bilateral talks with the UAE to settle the misunderstandings on the three Iranian islands with the emirate. The three-member committee, set up by the PGCC, must encourage the UAE to sit at the negotiating table with Iran without any procrastination. If any member takes the side of the UAE, this will kill the chances of the committee being impartial in its attempt to mediate the dispute.