RIYADH: Senior officials of the foreign ministries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Pakistani officials from the foreign ministry held, Tuesday, a political dialogue meeting, hosted by the GCC General Secretariat. The meeting highlighted a number of political and regional security issues, the Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs and Negotiations at the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council, Dr Abdulaziz Al-Owaisheq, said in a statement issued by the secretariat.

Al-Owaisheq added that the meeting also discussed mechanisms to enhance strategic dialogue between the two sides and develop aspects of cooperation between them in light of the memorandum of understanding and the joint action plan that was approved for the period (2022-2026). The officials also talked about some economic and trade issues of common interest.

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) receives Iraq’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Firm partnership with Iraq

Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Al-Budaiwi has underlined the significance of the firm strategic partnership between the GCC member states and Iraq that were established by their leaderships. This came during a meeting between Al-Budaiwi and Iraq’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Abdul Sattar Al-Janabi in Riyadh, the GCC Secretariat said in a statement Tuesday. This partnership was translated in a memo signed in 2019 and the action plan for 2014-2019 during which the two sides agreed on enhancing cooperation, dialogue and partnership in all fields, Al-Budaiwi said.

He stressed GCC’s stances and resolutions on backing brothers in Iraq in the face of terrorism and illegal arms, and achieving stability and security in the country, as well as maintaining its sovereignty and territorial integrity. These resolutions and stances also aim to maintain Arab and Muslim identity of Iraq, and its national and social unity, and reject all foreign interferences into its domestic affairs, Al-Budaiwi noted.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed enhancing partnership and implementing the action plan in all domains through political and security dialogue, and investment and commercial cooperation, and cultural and sports activities, according to the statement. They further reviewed the GCC-Iraqi ties and means of developing and enhancing them to serve their common interests, in addition to discussing the most outstanding challenges and crises on regional and international arenas, the statement concluded. - KUNA