Hope voiced for strong strategic ties

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GCC-CENTRAL ASIA SUMMIT OPENS NEW HORIZONS

JEDDAH, July 20: The Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah delivered Kuwait’s speech at the GCC and five countries of Central Asia, also known as C-5, summit held in Jeddah on Wednesday. His Highness the Crown Prince said at the outset, “I would like to convey to all of you greetings of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.”

He went on to express appreciation to the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represented by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al- Saud, the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and to the Saudi government and its generous people for their warm reception and hospitality. His Highness the Crown Prince added that he was pleased at the participation of Kuwait in the first meeting of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the leaders of the Central Asian countries, which represents a new building block and a great addition to the path of relations between the two sides, and noted that such cooperation reflects on the common desire to move forward to develop and strengthen such relations to include broader and more comprehensive cooperation in various fields.

His Highness the Crown Prince added that such cooperation would serve the common interests of both sides, and will strengthen and deepen relations. He also hoped that such meeting would contribute to strengthen and consolidate the strategic partnership relations between the two sides through what was approved in the Joint Ministerial Council meeting on September 7, 2022 and the adoption of the Joint Action Plan (2023-2027). His Highness the Crown Prince also noted that they look forward to more cooperation in the political, security, economic, cultural, scientific and trade fields, stressing the importance of continuous consultation in order to continue further cooperation in all fields, and to enhance security and stability and achieve prosperity in all our countries.

The Representative of Kuwait Amir added that he is pleased to commend the positions of the Central Asian countries, which are highly appreciated by the GCC countries for their constant and unwavering commitment to just international issues and their continuous cooperation and coordination with the GCC countries to lay the foundations for security and stability in the region. His Highness the Crown Prince also praised the Central Asian countries for their positions on various Islamic, Arab, regional and international issues, expressing confident in the keenness of the Central Asian countries to continue this path and efforts.

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, His Highness the Crown Prince said have a firm belief and a firm conviction that the current circumstances require more work and coordination of efforts at the regional level, which makes it imperative to work together to face the challenges surrounding the region through cooperation between the countries of the Cooperation Council and the countries of Central Asia. His Highness the Crown Prince considered such work is essential in enhancing the security and stability, including development for the region, progress and the wellbeing.

At the end, His Highness the Crown Prince asked Allah Almighty to protect all of the participants homelands and provide them with security, safety, development and prosperity, and to grant them success. Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah returned to the homeland this evening from Saudi Arabia after leading Kuwait delegation to the 18th consultative meeting of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Central Asian countries (5C) in Jeddah on Wednesday. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent a cable to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to thank him for the warm hospitality offered to him and Kuwait delegation during their participation in the 18th GCCCentral Asia consultative meeting and the GCC-Central Asia Summit. The meetings, hosted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, gathered leaders of the six GCC countries and five Central Asian countries. His Highness the Crown Prince appreciated, in his cable, the great efforts made by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host the delegations to the meetings and the outstanding role of the kingdom on the regional and international arenas. He hailed the outcomes of the meetings which will have positive impacts on the development of the partnership between the countries of both regions. His Highness the Crown Prince wished the Saudi King everlasting wellbeing and the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia more progress and prosperity. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent a cable to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to thank him for the warm hospitality offered to him and Kuwait delegation during their participation in the 18th GCC-Central Asia consultative meeting and the GCC-Central Asia Summit.

Historical
The warm hospitality reflected the depth of the historical relationship between the State of Kuwait and the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Highness the Crown Prince noted. He appreciated, in his cable, the great efforts made by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host the delegations to the meetings and the outstanding role of the Kingdom on the regional and international arenas. He hailed the outcomes of the meetings which will have positive impacts on the development of the partnership between the countries of both regions. His Highness the Crown Prince wished the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman everlasting wellbeing, expressing hope for more progress and prosperity for the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Arab Parliament said Thursday that the GCC-Central Asia Summit, recently held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was deemed “a significant opportunity” to broaden cooperation and notch up further accomplishments. In a press release, the parliament’s Speaker Adel Al-Asoumi commended the first-ofits- kind summit between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Central Asia, which are rich in such natural resources as oil and gas, something that makes bilateral deals and partnerships beneficial to all countries of the region. He also acclaimed the GCC leaders’ farsightedness and fervent endeavor to devise joint blueprints for working with such blocs, citing the strategic dialogue and cooperation plan recently adopted by both sides’ foreign ministers in Riyadh for 2023-2027. The plan is based on people-to-people communication and effective partnerships between the business sectors of the GCC and Central Asia countries, the top Arab lawmaker elaborated. Al-Asoumi spoke highly of the constructive efforts and intensive diplomatic mobility of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, mainly the recent Jeddah Summit, in the context of efforts aiming at promoting cooperation and integration with Central Asia.

However, he underlined that it is essential to forge more partnerships with major world blocs amidst successive crises pertinent to food and energy, which are predicted to aggravate due to Russia’s failure to extend the Black Sea grain deal. Leaders of the six GCC member states and the five Central Asian countries (C5) adopted a joint statement at the conclusion of the GCC-Central Asia Summit on Wednesday, affirming the importance of strengthening cooperation in various areas to promote regional stability. The meeting, chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, gathered the leaders of the GCC and Central Asian countries, and Secretary- General of the GCC Jassem Mohammad Al-Budaiwi. The leaders congratulated Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, on the success of the Hajj season for the year 1444H, and the high level it achieved in serving the pilgrims and providing them with the necessary care, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, citing the joint statement. “Based on common values, interests, and deep historical ties between the GCC countries and Central Asian countries, the leaders stressed the importance of strengthening political and strategic relations between the two sides at the collective and bilateral levels, and continuing political coordination in order to achieve regional and international security and stability, face challenges, and work to ensure the flexibility of supply chains, transportation and communication, food security, energy security, and water security, pushing for building cooperation relations in developing green and renewable energy sources and technologies, creating business opportunities, supporting investment opportunities, and increasing trade exchange.

“The leaders praised the cultural diversity, openness and rich history of the countries of the Cooperation Council and Central Asia, and they stressed that tolerance and peaceful coexistence are among the most important values and principles for relations between nations and societies. “In this regard, the leaders welcomed the adoption of (the UN) Security Council Resolution 2686, by which the Council recognised that hate speech, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, gender discrimination and acts of extremism can contribute to the outbreak, escalation and recurrence of conflicts,” the statement reads. “They expressed concern about the growing rhetoric of racism and Islamophobia, and acts of violence against Muslim minorities and Islamic symbols. “The leaders praised the results and goals of the Conference of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which has been held in Kazakhstan since 2003 in order to discuss global guidelines for achieving respect and tolerance among races and religions.

“The leaders praised the results of the Bahrain Dialogue Forum “East and West for Human Coexistence”, which was held in 2022 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in cooperation with the Sheikh of Al Azhar and Pope of the Vatican. “The leaders stressed the importance of strengthening the strategic and political dialogue between the countries of the Cooperation Council and Central Asia, and strengthening this partnership towards new horizons in various fields, including political and security dialogue, economic and investment cooperation, enhancing communication between peoples, and exchanging best practices and expertise in all fields such as education, culture, youth affairs, tourism, media and sports, in accordance with the agreed joint action plan for the period 2023- 2027. “The leaders commended the outcomes of the joint ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the GCC and Central Asian countries, which was held on September 7, 2022, and the technical meetings held between officials and specialists from both sides in the fields of economic cooperation, trade, investment, health, culture, youth and sports. “The leaders also urged the concerned authorities to take the necessary measures for the immediate implementation of the joint action plan, at the bilateral and multilateral levels, to enhance joint cooperation in various fields.

“In the economic field, the leaders stressed the importance of continuing efforts to enhance trade and economic cooperation and encourage joint investment by strengthening relations between financial and economic institutions and business sectors on both sides to explore areas of cooperation and available opportunities and provide an attractive climate for business, trade, joint investments and economic cooperation, in order to achieve mutual benefit. “The leaders also called for achieving integration between available opportunities and developing investment fields, discussing development priorities and exchanging experiences in light of the joint action plan. “The leaders affirmed their support for the candidacy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh, to exert all efforts to support this nomination, stressing the importance of organising international and regional exhibitions and active participation in them to stimulate economic and cultural exchanges between Central Asia and the GCC region.

“The leaders emphasised the importance of continuing cooperation between the Cooperation Council and Central Asia in international forums and organisations, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to confront the economic challenges facing the world. On climate change, the joint statement said, “The leaders praised the pioneering role played by the two sides in confronting the climate change phenomenon and renewed their welcome and support to the United Arab Emirates for hosting the COP28 conference to support international efforts in this regard.” “As developing countries, the leaders emphasised the principles and provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, especially fairness and the principle of shared responsibilities, taking into account different national circumstances and priorities, and taking into account in the implementation of the two agreements the negative social and economic impacts resulting from response measures to climate change, especially those affecting developing countries that are the most susceptible to these effects.

Agreements
“COP28 will provide an opportunity to assess these issues and progress in collective efforts to implement these international agreements,” according to the statement. “The leaders stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation in the field of environment and climate change, protecting glaciers and water resources, and attracting more investments to the main sectors of the economies of Central Asian countries to adapt to climate change through integration and cooperation on the risks and consequences of natural disasters between the two sides. “The leaders stressed the importance of developing connected transportation routes between the two regions, building strong logistical and commercial networks, and developing effective systems that contribute to the exchange of products.

“The leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of higher education, scientific research and vocational training, encourage cooperation between universities and scientific research centres on both sides, and provide educational opportunities in technical universities, wherever possible, for students from the GCC and Central Asian countries, as well as exchange of experience and expertise through communication between experts and education specialists. “The leaders expressed their aspirations to enhance cooperation in the health field, exchange experiences among specialised institutions in various health fields, and support global initiatives to address current and future epidemics, health risks, and challenges. “In this context, the leaders highlighted Kazakhstan’s initiative to create a special multilateral body in the United Nations – the International Agency for Biosafety – which was announced at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“The Agency is intended to contribute to the prevention of biological threats and the exchange of data on dangerous diseases. “In the field of cultural and humanitarian cooperation, including the media and social fields, the leaders stressed the importance of protecting the common cultural heritage between the two sides, elevating joint cultural and media cooperation, encouraging cultural dialogue between the two sides, and discussing opportunities to develop cooperation in all fields to serve joint interests. “The leaders emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation in the field of youth and sports, exchanging experiences, and coordinating electoral positions in regional, continental, and international sports federations. They noted that Qatar will host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup matches

(KUNA)

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