Foreign Affairs Minister and Chairman of the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf, held a meeting in Kazakhstan, with the foreign ministers of the member states of the Central Asian Group (C5), to discuss the establishment of a strategic dialogue between GCC countries and the countries of Central Asia.
The minister stressed the importance of promoting cooperation between GCC and C5, and developing relations between the two sides in all fields, noting the depth of the historical and cultural relations.
Dr. Al Zayani explained that the GCC Ministerial Council took a decision to hold a strategic dialogue between GCC and C5, to discuss regional and international issues and cooperation in all fields, stressing the need to intensify joint efforts between GCC countries and Central Asian republics, to develop mechanisms of economic cooperation to increase trade exchange and encourage investment in various fields.
He expressed GCC’s aspiration to approve the draft joint action plan between the two sides (2022-2026), which includes political, economic, educational, health, cultural, and sports fields of cooperation.
The GCC secretary-general delivered a speech in which he stressed that the Central Asian countries are among the countries in which GCC leaders were interested in opening up ways of dialogue and cooperation, as the signing of the memorandum of understanding is the first step in the strategic dialogue towards moving relations to broader areas in all fields.
He also stressed the importance of GCC role in achieving stability, security and peace in the Middle East. He pointed out that the economic field in the joint action plan helps provide an attractive climate for trade and investment and enhances private sector relations between the two regions, noting that the presence of many historical cultural ties between the two regions will encourage strategic dialogue with Central Asian countries, cultural communication and dialogue between people.
The C5 foreign ministers expressed their appreciation for the decision of the GCC Ministerial Council to hold a strategic dialogue, stressing the interest of their countries in promoting and consolidating friendship and cooperation relations between the two sides in various fields and at all political, economic and cultural levels to meet the aspirations of both sides and achieve common interests.
Source: Bahrain News Agency