The Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Negotiations at the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr. Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Aweisheg, underlined the importance of the Yemeni consultations, which were held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh from March 29 till April 7.
He noted that the talks affirmed a common conviction that the GCC represented a natural extension and strategic depth for Yemen, and that the future of the country was also linked to the future of the GCC, emphasizing the need to enhance integration between the two sides.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Aweisheg said: “As long as there is a desire from the Yemeni brothers to strengthen this strategic partnership, the Council is ready to adopt additional steps to respond to the proposals of our brothers in the final statement of the consultations, and to use this partnership to maintain security and stability in Yemen, enhance its economic capabilities, and participate in its reconstruction and development, as well as achieving integration between the two sides in all fields.”
The Assistant Secretary-General stressed that the current priority was to support Yemen to overcome the crisis and “restore the unlimited capabilities of the Yemeni people to achieve their aspirations for peace, security and stability, and to catch up with their brothers in the GCC countries in achieving the highest levels of growth and prosperity.”
Al-Aweisheg said that the GCC was ready to work with the Presidential Command Council and the Yemeni government to reap maximum benefit from the decisions taken within the framework of coordination and cooperation mechanisms between the GCC and Yemen, including the 2002 Sanaa Agreement and the recommendations of the Joint Yemeni-Gulf Committee.
“The Gulf Cooperation Council is also ready to respond to the request made during the Riyadh consultations to intensify cooperation in the fields of education and health, in order to help Yemen overcome the challenges that have exacerbated since the start of the war,” he added.
The assistant GCC Secretary-General underlined the important role assumed by Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula within the framework of security and stability.
