Foreign Minister attends GCC-UK meeting

Manama, Dec. 20 (BNA): Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, participated in the joint ministerial meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the United Kingdom, which was held in London today. The GCC side was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the current session of the Ministerial Council of the Cooperation Council, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The British side was chaired by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth Truss with the participation of the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr. Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf. The ministers discussed the Gulf-British relations and areas of joint cooperation in various political, economic and security fields in order to serve the interests of both sides. The ministers reviewed the provisions of the joint action plan for the years 2022-2027 and ways to achieve the the plan’s objectives. They also discussed the political and security developments in the region and the efforts exerted to enhance security and stability and achieve prosperity. Following the meeting, a joint communique was issued in which the two sides affirmed their keenness to further strengthen their relations in all fields, including security, foreign policy, trade, investment and development. They also affirmed their commitment to expand their shared ambition and develop partnership in emerging areas such as clean technology, digital infrastructure and cyber, adding that this new UK/GCC partnership will help keep UK and GCC citizens safe, and generate business opportunities and jobs. The two sides stressed the importance of strengthening people-to-people links which are an essential element in promoting understanding between their people, and a key driver of innovation, business opportunities, and cultural and educational exchange. The Foreign Ministers welcomed the completion of the United Kingdom – Gulf Cooperation Council Joint Trade and Investment Review in June 2021, which was an important milestone in the roadmap to the creation of freer trade between the UK and the GCC. They also welcomed recent progress to boost bilateral trade through removing trade barriers and facilitating economic cooperation. The joint communique also highlighted the commitment of all parties to work rapidly towards a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. They agreed that an FTA would mark a significant turning point in the UK-GCC relationship, and looked forward to commencing negotiations in 2022. The two sides affirmed their commitment to work together to identify bilateral opportunities for joint investment in infrastructure and clean technology in the developing world under the umbrella of the Building a Better World Initiative of the G7. The two sides also affirmed their commitment to continue their close cooperation in foreign policy and regional security.