Riyadh Prepares to Host Strategic GCC Dialogues with Russia, India

Gulf foreign ministers and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi meet in Doha in June. (GCC)
Gulf foreign ministers and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi meet in Doha in June. (GCC)
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Riyadh Prepares to Host Strategic GCC Dialogues with Russia, India

Gulf foreign ministers and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi meet in Doha in June. (GCC)
Gulf foreign ministers and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi meet in Doha in June. (GCC)

The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries will meet in Riyadh on Monday for their 161st Ministerial Council. They will also hold joint separate meetings with their counterparts from Russia, India and Brazil.

GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi said in August that the Ministerial Council will tackle several issues related to joint Gulf work, and regional and international developments.

The members of the council will hold a number of joint ministerial meetings with several countries to discuss cooperation and coordination and exchange views on regional and international developments.

The ministers will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the seventh GCC-Russia strategic dialogue. The two parties had previously underscored the importance of the dialogue between them to achieve common interests and deepen relations.

They had approved the Gulf-Russian 2023-2028 joint plan that is aimed at strengthening ties and exchanging expertise in several areas.

The parties last met in Moscow in July. They agreed to intensify efforts to achieve peace, security, stability and prosperity around the world.

They agreed to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of nations and to refrain from meddling in their internal affairs. They stressed the need to confront challenges and crises through peaceful means, prioritize dialogue and resolve conflicts through negotiations.

The meeting welcomed GCC efforts to pave the way for a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine.

The GCC ministers will also meet with their Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the first ever between the two sides.

They will also hold joint talks with Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, who was invited to Riyadh by Al Budawi during a visit to Brazil in June.

Officials are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding and joint work plan aimed at bolstering and developing relations between them.



GCC Expresses Full Support to Egypt, Rejects Israel’s Provocative Statements 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, 02 September 2024. (EPA)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, 02 September 2024. (EPA)
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GCC Expresses Full Support to Egypt, Rejects Israel’s Provocative Statements 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, 02 September 2024. (EPA)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, 02 September 2024. (EPA)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi expressed on Tuesday the GCC's complete solidarity with Egypt in rejecting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “provocative” statements about the Philadelphi Corridor.

“Israel's statements aim to distort Egypt's image and undermine its significant and leading role in the region, as well as its unambiguous and evident efforts in mediating to resolve the crisis in the Gaza Strip,” said Albudaiwi.

He stressed that Egypt “plays a pivotal role in boosting regional and international stability through its ongoing mediation efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people since the eruption of the crisis.”

He stressed the GCC's “total rejection of such irresponsible statements, which do not serve peace in the region but rather contribute to increasing tension and exacerbating the situation.”

He underlined the need for Israel to adhere to international principles and signed agreements, as well as to cease its aggressive actions in Gaza and all Palestinian areas.

Albudaiwi reiterated the GCC’s unwavering support to Egypt “in its diligent efforts to promote security and stability in the region and to work together to achieve the noble objectives that unite Arab and Islamic countries against common challenges.”

Netanyahu on Monday rejected calls to soften his demand to keep troops in the southern Gazan border area as the price for a ceasefire deal, saying it was vital for Israel to control a key lifeline for Hamas.

The issue of the Philadelphi Corridor, on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, has been a major sticking point in efforts to secure a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and return Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Hamas has rejected any Israeli presence, while Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not abandon the corridor, where Israeli troops have uncovered dozens of tunnels they say have been used to smuggle weapons and ammunition into Gaza.