The foreign ministers of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said on Monday that a peaceful solution must be found to the Iranian nuclear issue, urging Tehran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The ministers met in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh where they were briefed by GCC Secretary-General Abdul-Rahman al-Attiyah on his talks with IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei when he visited Vienna last month.

The Middle East and Gulf region needs to be free of weapons of mass destruction, the foreign ministers said in a statement issued at the end of the day-long gathering.

But international accords need to acknowledge the right to develop nuclear technology for civilian purposes, the statement said.

It appealed to the international community to press Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and allow scrutiny of its nuclear facilities. The ministers also discussed the situation in Iraq, the national reconciliation of Palestinians, the crisis in Lebanon.

The Gulf states made their joint statement as the six major powers -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- discussed a new draft resolution that would impose sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to abandon its disputed nuclear program.

The United States has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian program, a charge that Iran has denied.

The IAEA said on Feb. 22 that "Iran has not suspended its enrichment-related activities" in accordance with a resolution adopted by UN Security Council on Dec. 23, 2006, that demanded Iran suspend uranium enrichment within 60 days.

Iran has refused to do so, saying its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.

(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2007)