His Excellency, Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),emphasised that the Sixth Strategic Dialogue Meeting that brought together the Council countries and Turkey today is of great importance, as it provides opportunities for consultation between the two sides on international and regional issues of common interest, and working together to enhance the security and stability of the region, deepen the bridges of cooperation between the Cooperation Council and the Republic of Turkey and expand its scope. It resulted in the approval of the extension of the Joint Action Plan between the two sides until 2029, His Excellency stated.
This came during the Sixth Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Strategic Dialogue between the Cooperation Council and the Republic of Turkey, today, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in the Qatari capital, Doha, chaired by His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar - the Chairman of the current Ministerial Council -, in the presence of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Council countries, as well as His Excellency Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.
At the beginning of his speech, His Excellency expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to His Highness Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, for His Highness' continuous support and wise leadership during Qatar's rotating presidency of the Cooperation Council, which contributed to strengthening the bonds of the GCC and enhancing the effectiveness of the GCC system in all fields and at all levels, in harmony with the purposes and objectives of the Cooperation Council.
His Excellency referred in his speech to the important results that emerged from the GCC-Turkish Summit that brought together Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the Cooperation Council countries with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Doha - December 2023), contributing to enhancing political, security and economic coordination between the Cooperation Council countries, the fruits of which are being reaped today.
"The joint ministerial meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the GCC countries and the Republic of Turkey, which was held today, marks the first such meeting since the signing of the joint statement to commence free trade negotiations between the GCC countries and Turkey. This serves as an indication of the strength of the strategic and deep partnership between the GCC countries and the Republic of Turkey, representing a qualitative leap in the strong relations, and a new testament to the regional and international standing achieved by the GCC countries in all fields, including the commercial, economic, and financial domains, as they look forward to the conclusion of these negotiations," he stated.
Furthermore, His Excellency expressed his profound pride and appreciation for the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two parties, which established the strategic dialogue between the GCC and the Republic of Turkey in 2008 in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
"This was built upon the deep historical relations and shared cultural heritage, and in response to the shared desire and firm conviction of the wise leaderships on both sides of the need to enhance cooperation in all fields, in pursuit of achieving the common goals and interests of our countries and peoples, within a comprehensive strategic framework, standing on a solid foundation of alignment of views on the importance of strengthening joint action in all sectors of cooperation," he pointed out.
Additionally, His Excellency said during his speech that the joint ministerial meeting between the foreign ministers of the GCC countries and Turkey comes amid concerning regional and international political and security developments, with the rapidly unfolding events in the region, in the context of the war waged by the Israeli occupation forces on the Gaza Strip.
"At this time when we are meeting, Palestinians are being killed at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces, and undoubtedly what is happening in the Gaza Strip pains us all, and calls us to exert more effort to stop this war waged by the Israeli occupation forces on the Gaza Strip, for which innocent Palestinian civilians are paying the price, as its repercussions have extended to different parts of the world, and have harmed the freedom of maritime navigation in the Red Sea, as a result of the attacks by the Houthi group on passing ships and tankers through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea." His Excellency added.
His Excellency also stressed the necessity of stopping the military operations launched by the Israeli war machine against civilians, in a war against humanity that has exceeded all limits. He also affirmed the categorical rejection of the forced displacement of civilians, and the continued targeting and direct bombardment of United Nations centers for food distribution and sheltering displaced women and children from their areas of residence, as well as infrastructure, using various weapons.
"All these actions are taking place in full view and hearing of the countries and international organizations of the world, without any deterrent to the Israeli crimes or accountability for their blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law. Therefore, the entire international community must shoulder its responsibilities in the face of the current situation to stop this war," His Excellency concluded.