Manama, December 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 and the United Kingdom, which was held in London today.
The Gulf side was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the 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 headed by the United Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development, Elizabeth Truss, with the participation of the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr. Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf.
The ministers discussed Gulf-British relations and areas of joint cooperation in various political, economic and security fields 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 goals of the plan.
They also discussed political and security developments in the region and efforts to enhance security and stability and achieve prosperity.
Following the meeting, a joint statement 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 expanding their common ambition and developing partnership in emerging areas such as clean technology, digital infrastructure and the internet, adding that this new partnership between the UK and the GCC will help maintain the safety of UK and GCC citizens, and generate employment and jobs.
The two sides stressed the importance of strengthening people-to-people ties which is an essential element in enhancing understanding between their peoples, and a major driver of innovation, business opportunities, and cultural and educational exchange.
The Foreign Ministers welcomed the completion of the UK-GCC Joint Trade and Investment Review in June 2021, which was a milestone in the roadmap for creating freer trade between the UK and the GCC.
They also welcomed recent progress in boosting bilateral trade by removing trade barriers and facilitating economic cooperation.
The joint statement also highlighted the commitment of all parties to work quickly towards a comprehensive free trade agreement. They agreed that the FTA would mark an important turning point in the relationship between the UK and the GCC, and looked forward to negotiations starting 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 G7 Building a Better World Initiative.
The two sides also affirmed their commitment to continue their close cooperation in foreign policy and regional security.
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