Kyrgyzstan – Arab countries cooperation intensifying significantly:  Kulubaev

Foreign Ministers from Central Asia and GCC at their meeting in Tashkent (Kabar)

TASHKENT: Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev said that cooperation and relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and his country have been steadily intensifying.

The GCC, established in 1981, comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In recent years, interaction between the Kyrgyz Republic and Arab countries has significantly intensified, and Bishkek is ready to further strengthen mutually beneficial interregional cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, Kulubaev said, quoted by Kabar news agency.

The minister was addressing the second meeting of the foreign ministers of the Central Asia -GCC Strategic Dialogue held in the Uzbekistan capital, Tashkent.

Kulubaev heading the Kyrgyz delegation (Kabar)

Kulubaev highlighted the major directions and priorities for the development of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the countries of Central Asia and the GCC.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of agreements reached during the first summit of the heads of state of Central Asia and the GCC, held on July 19, 2023 in the Saudi resort of Jeddah, to establish the frameworks for future cooperation between both sides.

A second summit is scheduled in Samarkand next year.

The Tashkent meeting reviewed the progress of the implementation of the joint action plan for strategic dialogue and cooperation for 2023-2027 and discussed ways to trengthen interaction in the political, trade-economic, investment, transport-communication, cultural-humanitarian fields. It also took note of the latest regional and international developments.

The Central Asia – GCC meeting in progress (GCC)

GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Abudaiwi, said the meeting aimed to strengthen joint action for the strategic dialogue and develop mechanisms for consultation and cooperation between the two sides.

Abudaiwi stressed that the unprecedented developments and levels of uncertainty in many political, economic, security, and social matters and issues facing the international community require intensifying communication and coordination to resolve them and deal with potentially negative repercussions.

The meeting was attended by delegations from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.