The PM said the council has reiterated multiple times during its recent annual sessions, pointing out that the first Strategic Dialogue held in September 2022 formed a critical juncture in the cooperation process between the two sides culminating in the first historic summit of the leaders of GCC countries and Central Asian states in July 2023 in Jeddah, underlining the keenness of all states to effectively continue this process.
The PM noted that the joint ministerial meeting is being held amid numerous global challenges affecting the countries which can be collectively addressed by them, pointing out that the challenges include climate change, global food security crisis, terrorist threats, Islamophobia and others.
He said the escalation in the region during the past days unequivocally highlights the importance of maintaining effective engagement and coordination among countries to ensure regional stability and peace, along with the shared emphasis on de-escalating the incidents that pose instability or undermine this peace.
The current escalation sheds light on the danger of the war in Gaza Strip sliding into a wider cycle of violence in the region, along with the significance of the tireless efforts being made to ensure that this does not happen, he stated.
The PM said the common challenges in a variety of political, economic, cultural, trade, industrial and agricultural fields necessitate the collective and coordinated action on the part of all states, in addition to setting innovative solutions and practical measures.
He pointed out that this is evoked by the Joint Action Plan between the GCC countries and Central Asian states for 2023-2027 that was endorsed during the first joint ministerial meeting and approved by the summit of the leaders of GCC countries and Central Asian states.
The PM highlighted that the GCC countries and Central Asian states strive to achieve the objectives of this summit to further strengthen interconnection between them in all cooperation fields, study and set the perceptions and proposals in the areas of political and security coordination, enhance the relationships of financial and economic institutions and promote trade, investment and cooperation in education and vocational training, in addition to sharing experiences in health fields and other fields that help achieve sustainable development and realize the interests of nations.
