EN
The Persian Gulf region is one of the most important areas in current global security system. Vast energy resources located in the region are essential for world’s economic stability and development, which also brought constant foreign penetration of the Persian Gulf system.The Gulf Cooperation Council has been established in 1981 and since then it plays an important role as one of the regional security mechanisms. In the article the reasons behind organization’s formations are described, as well as an evolution of the integration processes is shown in historical perspective. Also, the socio-economic and military positions of the GCC members are analyzed and the main challenges faced by the organization are pointed out. The GCC still serves as coordination agenda rather than strict integration organization but in the last years we may notice growing efforts to strengthen the GCC’s mechanisms.