The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held in Riyadh on Monday the GCC-Russia Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue.
Participants examined GCC-Russian relations and explored opportunities to strengthen and expand cooperation. They also discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis and the international community's efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution and support initiatives aimed at ensuring global peace and security.
The meeting emphasized the need for increased coordination on regional and international issues, as well as the importance of multilateral cooperation and stronger economic collaboration to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking at the summit, GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi said GCC member states place great importance on cooperation with Russia given the “historic and strategic ties that bind us.”
“We are working to accelerate the implementation of the Joint Action Plan (2023-2027) that was agreed upon in the previous ministerial meeting held in Moscow in July 2023,” he added.
Albudaiwi stressed that the meeting is part of the strategic dialogue established under the memorandum of understanding signed in Abu Dhabi in November 2011, and a continuation of the considerable efforts made by the two sides to strengthen friendly relations to fulfill their aspirations.
The dialogue serves as a permanent platform for ministerial-level discussions, facilitating the exchange of views on issues of mutual concern, including threats to regional and global security, as well as a means to explore ways to boost cooperation, he went on to say.
Moreover, AlBudaiwi noted that "many conflicts and crises plague our world today, seriously affecting its security and stability", reiterating that the GCC member states are making every possible effort to contribute to resolving disputes and settling conflicts through dialogue, negotiations and peaceful diplomatic means.
He further stressed the importance of "prioritizing wisdom and dialogue", and respecting the rule of law in accordance with international norms, values, agreements and treaties that ensure the preservation of security and stability worldwide, and thus enable all countries to prosper and their peoples to thrive.
AlBudaiwi stressed that the ongoing Israeli violations against Palestinian civilians and the crimes committed by Israeli forces contradict all human values and charters, including international law, humanitarian law, and relevant UN resolutions.
“This unfortunate reality highlights the failure of the international community to find a comprehensive and permanent solution to this tragic issue,” he noted, adding that the international community has condemned the continued Israeli war on Gaza.
He reiterated the GCC's solidarity with the Palestinian people, and demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an end to military operations carried out by the Israeli forces, and asked for ensuring access to all humanitarian and relief aid by the residents of Gaza, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.
AlBudaiwi urged the international community to take urgent, serious and decisive actions to protect civilians in Gaza and to support the State of Palestine's efforts to secure recognition from more countries, as well as to assist it in obtaining full membership in the UN and convene an international conference to achieve a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.
On Yemen, AlBudaiwi commended the sincere efforts of Saudi Arabia and Oman, and the ongoing communication with all Yemeni parties, to revive the political process, which would lead to a comprehensive and sustainable political solution in Yemen.
He stressed the need for the Iran-backed Houthi militias to engage positively with the UN efforts to end the Yemeni crisis and give serious thought to peace initiatives, to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.
He also said that developments in the Red Sea affect the security of international navigation and negatively impact global trade, so it has become necessary and urgent to de-escalate tensions to maintain security and stability in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. He called for respecting the right to freedom of navigation in accordance with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to protect the interests of the entire world.
AlBudaiwi reiterated the GCC's support for the mediation efforts carried out by the member states in regard to the situation in Ukraine. The GCC renews its support for resolving the crisis between Russia and Ukraine through a ceasefire, a political solution, that settles the dispute through negotiations that lead to a sustainable political solution to the crisis and mitigates its impacts and repercussions.
The Gulf foreign ministers also held the GCC-India Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue.
The meeting covered a range of topics, including the joint action plan and ways of bolstering cooperation between GCC and India.
Discussions focused on reinforcing bilateral and multilateral coordination to enhance international security and peace.
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attended the meetings alongside Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed El-Khereiji, and Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs and General Supervisor of the Public Diplomacy Deputyship Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi.
