Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi said that the Cooperation Council looks forward to strengthening its dialogue with the international community in order to achieve global security and stability, and work to resolve all conflicts through peaceful means, based on the rules of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
This came during the GCC Secretary General’s participation in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council of NATO and representatives of the partners in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), headed by Deputy Secretary General of NATO Mircea Joanna.
Held in Brussels today, the meeting also witnessed the participation of the ambassadors of NATO countries and the ambassadors of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar and the State of Kuwait via audiovisual communication.
On this occasion, the GCC Secretary General indicated that the potential cooperation between the GCC General Secretariat and NATO, which is considered the largest military alliance in the world, is of paramount importance, especially with the existence of opportunities to effectively engage in constructive strategic partnerships and dialogues with its members.
Albudaiwi praised the robust and productive collaboration between the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates on one hand, and NATO, on the other, under the umbrella of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and through NATO-ICI Regional Centre, which will celebrate its seventh anniversary next January.
Furthermore, Albudaiwi cited the encouraging statements articulated by His Excellency Mr Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, during his visit to our region on many occasions, especially during his visit to the State of Kuwait, where he asserted during the visit that “The security of the Gulf is the security of the Alliance.”
He also stated that the NATO-ICI Regional Centre has played a pivotal role in strengthening the collective understanding of NATO’s role and the significance of cooperation with the organisation within the region, clarifying that it has been instrumental in enhancing the individual capabilities of its ICI members, as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman.
During his speech, the GCC Secretary General also reviewed the positions of the GCC countries on regional and international issues, stressing their role in achieving global security and prosperity, which is based on development, prosperity and stability.
He indicated that the Cooperation Council has now become a strong voice on the global scene, enabling it to contribute in resolving some regional and international conflicts, through its strong partnerships with all key players in the world.
Albudaiwi concluded by expressing the aspiration of the GCC General Secretariat to extend a welcoming hand for cooperation with NATO across a broad spectrum of shared interests that serve the cause of regional and global peace and stability, adding that the GCC welcomes any propositions from NATO for collaborative endeavors in mutually agreed-upon domains.
Source: Saudi Press Agency