Tashkent: Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi said that the second ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Central Asia countries Strategic Dialogue, which is being held here today, aims to strengthen cooperation between the two parties.
The meeting, headed by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and President of the current session of the Ministerial Council Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov, brought together foreign ministers of the GCC and Central Asian countries.
Al-Budaiwi thanked the leadership, government, and people of the Republic of Uzbekistan for their hospitality, and highlighted the reasons that make this meeting important and distinguished.
Among the reasons, he said, is the fact that it is the first to follow the summit hosted by the Kingdom in Jeddah in July 2023, which brought together the leaders of t
he GCC and Central Asia countries to establish the frameworks for future cooperation between the two sides, and that it will prepare for the second summit between these two regions, slated to take place in Samarkand next year.
Another reason, he said, is that it is being held amid unprecedented international political, economic, security, and social developments and uncertainty that require increased communication and coordination to solve issues and deal with any repercussions that may ensue and affect all parties.
Al-Budaiwi said that the GCC General Secretariat held the first ministerial meeting of the Strategic Dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Central Asia countries in September 2022. The meeting, he added, issued a joint statement affirming the commitment of the participating parties to establish a strong and ambitious partnership based on shared values, interests, and historical ties.
Participants exchanged views on regional and international issues, emphasized the need to coordinate
their positions and address common priorities, and approved the cooperation action plan for 2023-2027, a plan that envisages strengthening cooperation in the political, economic, trade, and investment field, as well as in the education, health, culture, media, youth, and sports.
He said meetings held by the General Secretariat to decide how to implement the outcomes of the first strategic dialogue of the GCC and Central Asia countries included the first meeting on economy, trade, and investment, the first meeting on culture and media, the first meeting on health, and the first meeting on youth and sports.
Al-Budaiwi also stressed the need to consult on political, regional, and international issues and on matters related to trade, investment, culture, education, scientific and technical research, environment, and health, to find common visions on these issues.
He said that the GCC partnership with the countries of Central Asia works to ensure mutual success, enhance communication between peoples, open marke
ts and boost economic activities, work to save energy, and strengthen the digital economy.
Source: Saudi Press Agency