Regional identity fundamental for integration -- Polish expert

By Eman Al-Awadhi (with photos)

KUWAIT, Oct 28 (KUNA) -- Regional identity is a fundamental concept when it comes to integration of member states of such organizations as the European Union (EU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said a Polish researcher on Tuesday.

Dr. Radoslaw Bania, a research fellow in the Department of the Middle East and North Africa of the University of Lodz, told KUNA, "When thinking of integration between countries, regional identity must be regarded as an important factor."

The researcher had presented a paper on this issue at a conference on EU-Gulf relations, which concluded yesterday and was organized by Kuwait University's EU-Gulf Research Unit.

Drawing comparisons on the ability to achieve regional identity in the GCC and the EU, he explained that the Gulf states were in a better position because of the socio-political similarities, common religion, and language, as well as cultural aspects.

As for the 27 members of the EU, he explained that these factors were not present and thus "a common identity can only be created out of common thoughts, beliefs, and values."

Moreover, he noted that although similarities among the GCC states "enable the governments to cooperate, but this cannot be described as integration in the deeper sense that we see in the EU."

However, Bania noted that in Europe the issue of regional identity was a two-fold process, where on the one hand people thought of themselves as Europeans united by common values and beliefs, but on the other hand they were also keen on local identity and were sometimes more loyal to the state than to the union.

In this context, new members joining the EU are viewed by Europeans more in relation to how this will impact their lives and well-being, rather than their importance in deepening political integration.

"The younger generation in Europe shows strong feelings in favor of integration, but that political integration should not go too far to the formation of a supra-government," he said.

On a different note, the professor spoke of the book he has written on the history of relations between Great Britain and Kuwait that will be published in Polish early next year. The book is based on documents in the British national archives and other researched material.

He explained that one important aspect highlighted in his book was the fact that after the Suez crisis in 1956, the Gulf area and especially Kuwait became the point of concentration for British policy because of oil assets.

"Up until the end of the 1960s, Kuwait was the center of British policy in the Gulf," he added, noting that the financial crisis faced by Britain at that time caused it to cut down its foreign military detachments.

The Kuwaiti independence document from Britain, signed in 1961, included a clause that allowed the latter to intervene militarily upon the request of the Gulf state's Amir. This clause was erased in 1968 and thus Britain was no longer under obligation to protect Kuwait, he said.

Bania hoped that his book and other works by Polish experts on Gulf relations would be translated into Arabic.

He also hoped for greater future cooperation between the EU-Gulf Research Union here and his department, noting that a conference will be held in Poland in November to discuss Gulf issues.

"Interest in the Gulf is growing in Poland, and we hope that experts from Kuwait and other Gulf states will attend the conference," he concluded.