General Secretariat - Doha
His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), affirmed that the GCC states are keen to expedite the negotiations of the Free Trade Agreement and hope that the current round of negotiations will be the final one, allowing us to sign the agreement in the near future.
This was stated during the joint meeting of Their Excellencies the Ministers of Trade from the GCC countries with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom, held on the sidelines of the 67th meeting of the Trade Cooperation Committee, on Thursday (31 October 2024) in Doha, Qatar. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the State of Qatar and president of the current session, with the participation of His Excellency Mr Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom, alongside Their Excellencies the Ministers of Trade from the GCC states.
At the beginning of his remarks, HE the Secretary General extended a warm welcome to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom, emphasising the significance of this joint meeting taking place alongside the Trade Cooperation Committee of the GCC.
During his speech, His Excellency pointed out that Their Excellencies the Ministers of Trade from the GCC states are closely monitoring the developments of these negotiations with the British side, based on their full commitment to reaching a balanced and comprehensive agreement with the United Kingdom.
He highlighted the need for the negotiations to demonstrate the necessary flexibility and determination from both sides to overcome any remaining challenges or obstacles and to ensure that an agreement is reached in the best interests of all parties involved.
