Doha: GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi underscored the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation and maritime security and enhancing regional and international cooperation to secure maritime supply chains.
According to Qatar News Agency, in a statement issued by the GCC Secretariat General on the occasion of the eighth Indian Ocean Conference (IOC), held on Sunday in Muscat, Oman, under the theme ‘Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership’, AlBudaiwi stated that the conference is a strategic platform for exchanging views on the future of the blue economy, addressing the challenges facing the Indian Ocean region, supporting sustainable development and maritime security issues, and utilizing modern technologies to enhance port security.
The GCC Secretary-General also highlighted the remarks of HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman, Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi, calling for enhanced multilateral cooperation to address modern maritime threats such as piracy, illegal fishing, and transnational crime, as well as reaffirming the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He expressed hope that the conference would achieve its intended goals, leading to outcomes and recommendations that contribute to strengthening freedom of navigation, maritime security, economic development, and environmental sustainability.