GCC And Central Asia Aim To Enhance Cooperation Through Strategic Dialogue

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, emphasized the strategic importance of the second ministerial meeting between the GCC and Central Asian countries, held today. This pivotal gathering, co-chaired by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Saidov, aims to bolster cooperation across various sectors. The meeting saw participation from foreign ministers representing both regions.

Al-Budaiwi extended gratitude towards the leadership, government, and citizens of Uzbekistan for their warm hospitality. He underscored the significance of this meeting as a follow-up to the inaugural summit in Jeddah, July 2023, which laid down the frameworks for future collaboration between GCC and Central Asian nations. This dialogue is set against a backdrop of global political, economic, security, and social challenges, highlighting the need for enhanced communication and coordination.

The first ministerial meeting of this Strategic Dialogue took place in September 2022, culminating in a joint statement that reaffirmed the commitment to forge a robust partnership grounded in shared values, interests, and historical connections. The dialogue covered a wide array of topics including regional and international issues, with an emphasis on aligning positions and tackling common priorities. A comprehensive cooperation action plan for 2023-2027 was approved, focusing on political, economic, trade, investment enhancements as well as advancements in education, health, culture, media, youth, and sports.

Al-Budaiwi also highlighted subsequent meetings organized by the GCC General Secretariat to implement the strategic dialogue's outcomes. These included discussions on economy, trade, investment; culture and media; health; as well as youth and sports. He stressed the importance of consulting on political, regional, international issues along with trade, investment, culture, education, scientific research, environment, and health matters to develop unified visions.

The partnership between GCC countries and Central Asian nations aims at mutual success through enhanced communication between peoples, market openings, economic activity boosts, energy conservation efforts, and digital economy strengthening.

With inputs from SPA