Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi confirmed that the Gulf-Chinese discussions addressed ways to enhance cooperation between the two sides, based on solid relations and shared interests, reflecting the outcomes of the first Gulf-Chinese Summit held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in December 2022. This statement came during the Gulf-Chinese discussions held today in Riyadh. Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Qiang chaired the Chinese side, while Albudaiwi chaired the GCC side. During the discussions, several topics of mutual interest were addressed, most notably reviewing the latest developments in the free trade negotiations between the council's member states and the People's Republic of China. The secretary-general highlighted the importance of moving forward and concluding these negotiations in the near future. In addition, the discussions included enhancing cooperation between the two sides, ways to develop it in various fields to serve their shared interests, and the importance of implementing the Joint Action Plan for 2023-2027. The two sides also exchanged their views on a number of regional and international issues, as well as following up on the latest developments in the region, foremost among which is the crisis in Gaza and the serious and ongoing violations by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people. The Chinese side stressed the necessity of working to achieve a ceasefire and implementing all relevant international and UN resolutions. Source: Saudi Press Agency
