Abu Dhabi, Dec 8 (IANS/WAM) Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have thanked United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for hosting the summit and for the warm hospitality given to them.

The leaders sent Sheikh Khalifa messages of thanks, before leaving the UAE for their respective countries Tuesday night after attending the 31st summit.

Messages were sent by Bahrain King Hamad Bin Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Saudi Arabia Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Deputy Prime Minister for Cabinet Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said.

Earlier, the two-day GCC summit concluded Tuesday, with the six-nation bloc pledging to support international effort to tackle terrorism and seeking to make the Middle East region, including the Gulf area, free of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons.

In the Abu Dhabi Declaration, the Gulf leaders expressed the GCC's denouncement of violence and terror-related extremism and the council's support for any regional and international effort for combating terrorism.

The declaration, which was announced at the end of the Dec 6-7 summit, called upon the international community to back the GCC proposal to establish an international counter-terrorism centre.

The GCC demanded Iran to commit itself to the basic principles of promoting good neighbourly ties, non-interference in the internal affairs of others, settlement of disputes through peaceful means and to refrain from using or threatening to use the force in that respect.