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GCC-US meeting underscores cooperation to ensure region’s stability, prosperity
Foreign ministers participating in the Gulf Cooperation Council-US Joint Ministerial Meeting on Strategic Partnership stressed the need to maintain cooperation by the different sides to ensure stability, prosperity and a flourishing economy in the region.
The GCC member states and the US announced on Thursday in a joint statement the agreements on a wide range of matters, one day after their meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
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Foreign ministers of GCC countries, including the Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, attended the meeting.
The attendees assured their commitment to build upon the achievements of previous ministerial meetings and those of the Jeddah summit held in July 2022 to strengthen consultation, coordination and cooperation in the different fields.
The convening sides also highlighted the ambitious and developing strategic partnerships between the US, GCC council and countries, noting that these partnerships aim at promoting peace, security, stability, integration and ensuring economic prosperity in the Middle East.
According to the joint statement, the foreign ministers stressed the importance of collaborative efforts to maintain de-escalation in the region while underlining that these efforts should be done through diplomatic channels.
The statement noted that the ministers agreed on the importance of infrastructure projects in enhancing regional integration and interconnectivity and contributing to regional stability and prosperity.
The sides “underscored the importance of upholding navigational rights and freedoms and of collective efforts to address threats to the security of vessels traveling through the region’s waterways.”
As for the fight against terrorism, the ministers underscored the importance of combating terrorism and violent extremism worldwide while welcoming the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS ministerial meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on Thursday.
“Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the United States’ enduring commitment to the security of the region, recognizing the region’s vital role in the global economy and international trade,” the joint statement said.
As for the GCC-US strategic partnership, the foreign ministers agreed to maintain cooperation and coordination and on “continuing periodic working groups to discuss defense issues and decided to hold another round of the GCC-US integrated air and missile defense and maritime security working groups later this year.”
Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and first met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah before flying to Riyadh for the ministerial meeting.
He participated on Thursday in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS meeting alongside Prince Faisal.
In their joint statement, the foreign ministers touched on the situation in different countries such as Iran, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Touching on Iran, the ministers expressed their “determination to counter aggressive and illegal actions at sea or elsewhere that might threaten the shipping lanes, international trade, and oil installations in the GCC states.”
They also called for Iran’s full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency while welcoming the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
As for Sudan, where Saudi Arabia and the US have acted as facilitators to ensure a cessation of fire between the warring parties, the ministers underscored the importance of resolving matters through diplomatic efforts to achieve a “permanent cessation of hostilities.”
“The Ministers affirmed their conviction that no acceptable military solution exists that will settle the conflict,” while calling “on the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to silence their guns.”
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