Gulf Arab leaders, British PM gather for talks in Bahrain

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Top officials from six Gulf Arab nations gathered Tuesday in the tiny island kingdom of Bahrain for talks expected to focus on regional security and co-operation.

Joining the two-day summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council is British Prime Minister Theresa May, the first female leader to participate in the talks.

May addressed British sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean earlier in the day, highlighting her country’s commitment to the Persian Gulf region. The UK is building a new naval base in Bahrain.

That decision has drawn criticism from human rights advocates, who point to the jailing of several activists and opposition figures in recent years. Amnesty International has urged May to raise concerns about human rights violations throughout the Gulf during her meeting.

During the summit, Britain is laying out plans to bolster aviation security with Gulf states and improve counterterrorism co-operation, among other initiatives, according to the prime minister’s office.

The GCC bloc of Western-allied countries includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

French President Francois Hollande was the first leader from outside the region to attend a GCC summit, in May 2015. U.S. President Barack Obama met with the bloc in Saudi Arabia in April of this year.

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This story has been corrected to show that the summit began Tuesday.