Saudi Foreign Minister in Uzbekistan for Second GCC-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting
The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, arrived on Sunday in Uzbekistan capital, Tashkent, to attend the second ministerial meeting between GCC countries and Central Asian states, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The Saudi Foreign Minister was received by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Bahram Aliyev, at Tashkent International Airport.
On Monday, Prince Faisal bin Farhan met his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyar Saidov, on the sidelines of the second GCC-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue ministerial meeting.
The meeting between the Saudi and Uzbek foreign ministers resulted in signing a reciprocal visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic and special passports.
The two ministers discussed a wide range of topics and reviewed the current state of the Saudi-Uzbek relations, and opportunities for further cooperation on issues of mutual interest.
On Sunday, the Uzbek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakhtiyor Saidov, met with the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi. They discussed the preparations for the second ministerial meeting.
Albudaiwi said that GCC countries place great emphasis on their relations with Central Asian states. He stressed that holding the joint ministerial meeting in a less than a year since the first summit confirms these countries keenness to strengthen relations at all levels and in all fields.
The second GCC-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue ministerial meeting took place on April 15, in Tashkent. It gathered ministers of foreign affairs from GCC and Central Asian countries.
Albudaiwi confirmed that the ministerial meeting aims to bolster the foundation of joint action for the strategic dialogue and develop mechanisms for consultation and cooperation between the two sides.
During his speech, Albudaiwi said that the meeting timing is significant due to the unprecedented developments and state of uncertainty in many political, economic, security, and social issues that the international community is facing, which require enhancing communication and coordination.
He announced that the joint cooperation action plan for the period 2023-2027 was approved. He explained that this plan includes strengthening cooperation in various fields, such as political and security dialogue, economic, trade, and investment cooperation, among others.
