Jeddah, July 19, 2023, SPA — The joint statement issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Central Asia Summit today affirmed the importance of strengthening political and strategic relations between the GCC countries and Central Asia, stressing the importance of dialogue and partnership towards new horizons in various fields.
The statement reads as follows:
“In response to the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the heads of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Central Asian states held their meeting in Jeddah, on Wednesday, Muharram 1, 1445H, corresponding to July 19, 2023. The meeting was chaired by His Highness Royal Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the participation of Their Majesties, Highnesses and Excellencies, the leaders of the GCC and Central Asian countries, and His Excellency Mr. Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC.
The meeting concluded the following:
1. The leaders congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for 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 during their performance of Hajj.
2. 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.
3. 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 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. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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. COP28 will provide an opportunity to assess these issues and progress in collective efforts to implement these international agreements.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. The leaders emphasised the importance of bolstering cooperation in the fields of green energy economy, digital economy, innovation, and green technology. They highlighted the need for investments to implement new projects in these crucial areas between the two sides. The leaders welcomed the decision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host the ‘GCC-Central Asia Investment Forum in the last quarter of 2023. They also welcomed the initiatives of the Republic of Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic to host the Forum in the year 2024.
18. The leaders discussed regional and international issues, and their visions agreed on the importance of concerted efforts to achieve peace, security, stability, and prosperity worldwide. They emphasised the priority of restoring international peace and security through mutual respect and cooperation between countries to achieve development and progress. They highlighted the principles of good neighbourliness, respect for the sovereignty of states, their territorial integrity, and political independence, non-interference in their internal affairs, non-use or threat of force, and the protection of the international order based on adherence to the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. Moreover, the leaders affirmed that the increasing risk of a nuclear confrontation between nuclear-armed countries constitutes a serious and unacceptable threat to international peace and security and that the use of nuclear weapons should never be allowed.
19. The leaders expressed their condemnation of terrorism, whatever its sources, the rejection of all its forms and manifestations, and the drying up of its funding sources. They expressed their determination to strengthen regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism and to prevent the financing, arming and recruitment of terrorist groups for all individuals and entities. The leaders referred to the results of the Dushanbe High-Level Conference on International and Regional Cooperation in the Field of Border Security and Management in order to Counter Terrorism and Prevent the Movement of Terrorists, held on October 18-19, 2022 in Dushanbe, and the results of the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition Against Daesh, which was held on June 8, 2023 in Riyadh, and affirmed their commitment to continue supporting all international and regional efforts to combat terrorist organisations and address all activities that threaten security and stability. They also emphasised that tolerance and coexistence among nations and peoples are among the most important principles and values upon which relations between states and societies are based.
20. The leaders stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and its institutions and bodies. They noted that many parts of the Islamic world are facing increasing food insecurity, primarily due to the challenging geopolitical and geo-economic situation as well as climate change. In this context, the leaders emphasised the necessity of cooperation and support for the efforts of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security and utilising its capacities to ensure the delivery of food supplies to needy countries
The leaders thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting this historic summit, adding that they were looking forward to holding the next summit between the GCC and the countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 2025.
Issued in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
On Wednesday, July 19, 2023
–SPA
22:55 LOCAL TIME 19:55 GMT
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