A meeting on Wednesday between the foreign ministers of the Gulf and Central Asian countries underlined the need to accelerate joint cooperation and support the implementation of the approved joint action plan, in order to face escalating global challenges and meet the aspirations of the peoples of the two regions.
Speaking at the opening of the first joint ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Central Asian countries, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that the current challenges increase the importance of efforts aimed at alleviating regional and international political tensions, and fostering an adequate environment for sustainable economic recovery, in the areas of trade, investment, tourism and energy.
The Saudi minister noted that the joint meeting, which was held on Wednesday in Riyadh, witnessed the preparation of the joint action plan (2023-2026), which seeks to realize the hopes and aspirations of the countries of the region, and enhance continuous cooperation between the Gulf and Central Asian countries.
Bin Farhan added that the gathering was attended by the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, along with their GCC counterparts, who exchanged views on regional and international developments and the need to support stability and strengthen the foundations of security in the Gulf and Central Asia.
The participants underlined their commitment to establishing a strong and ambitious future partnership between their countries, based on common values and interests, deep historical ties, and existing cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
They also approved a joint action plan for strategic dialogue and cooperation (2023-2027), covering political and security relations, economic and investment cooperation, and initiatives to strengthen communication between peoples and establish effective partnerships between the business sector in the GCC and countries in Central Asia.
