Riyadh (Al Ittihad)
The joint ministerial meeting between the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and Japan stressed the importance of enhancing joint coordination, taking partnership areas to broader and more comprehensive horizons, discussing regional and international issues and current developments, and discussing frameworks for intensifying coordination towards facing common challenges.
Yesterday, the work of the joint ministerial meeting between the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and Japan was held, which was held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council in Riyadh, where the Gulf side was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Chairman of the current session of the Ministerial Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Badr Al-Busaidi, while the Japanese side was headed by the Japanese Foreign Minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, with the participation of foreign ministers, heads of participating delegations, and Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for Arab States, Jassem Al-Budaiwi.
The meeting dealt with the overall bilateral relations between the GCC countries and Japan, and ways to consolidate and develop them at all levels.
The foreign ministers stressed with their Japanese counterpart the importance of strengthening the Gulf-Japanese strategic dialogue, building on what was agreed upon in the memorandum of understanding signed in January 2012, and extending the joint action plan between them for the period 2024-2028.
During the ministerial meeting, they discussed ways to enhance close Gulf-Japanese coordination, and take partnership areas to broader and more comprehensive horizons, especially in the economic, investment, development, technological and energy sectors.
During the meeting, regional and international issues and current developments in the region were discussed, and frameworks for intensifying coordination between the GCC states and Japan towards facing common challenges were discussed.
After the meeting, the Omani Foreign Minister announced, in a joint press briefing with his Japanese counterpart, the resumption of the free trade agreement negotiations with Japan.
Al-Busaidi stressed that the Cooperation Council attaches great importance to strengthening cooperation with Japan, describing the relations with Japan as strategic and growing.
He said, “During the meeting, the joint action plan between the two sides for the period 2024-2028 was approved, among which priorities will be renewable energy, the green economy, achieving zero carbon neutrality, as well as investment, technology, trade and health care.”
Al-Busaidi praised the role played by Japan in supporting the stability of the region and promoting economic development through existing investments and mutual benefits, noting that the volume of trade exchange between the two sides touches the ceiling of $100 billion annually.
For his part, the Japanese Foreign Minister stressed the importance of the partnership between Japan and the Gulf countries in various fields, expressing his country’s aspiration to increase consultation and coordination with the Cooperation Council on many international issues.
He praised the meeting’s conclusion of an action plan aimed at expanding trade, investment and employment opportunities, pointing out that the resumption of the FTA negotiations enjoys wide interest among the Japanese economic community.
In turn, the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, said that the General Secretariat aspires to implement and implement the joint action plan that was approved, praising the Japanese-Gulf relations, describing them as historical and close.
He added that yesterday’s meeting “carries a great and important indication of what the leaders attach to strengthening relations with Japan,” explaining that the joint action plan includes the fields of energy, trade, investment, academia, health, renewable energy, education, tourism, trade exchange and joint political dialogue.
In a related context, the 157th session of the Ministerial Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf was held yesterday, where it reviewed and discussed many issues of common concern, and followed up a number of reports on the follow-up to the implementation of the outcomes of the 18th consultative meeting held in Jeddah on July 19.
During his speech at the meeting, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassem Muhammad Al-Budaiwi, affirmed that the GCC countries have gained a prominent position at the regional and international levels, and the political and economic weight that made them an important destination for holding many meetings within the framework of partnerships and agreements with a number of active countries. And regional and international organizations, as confirmed by the joint Gulf summit meetings with a number of countries and international blocs.
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