GCC Secretary-General, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Discuss Regional Developments

September 24, 2026 at 5:43 PM
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NEW YORK: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi has met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in New York, where the two sides exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of Albudaiwi’s participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States of America, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed several topics of mutual interest, notably ways to advance and broaden bilateral relations to achieve shared objectives, including the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two sides.

Furthermore, they exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments, as well as matters of common concern.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office, in a statement, said the GCC Secretary General appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy, and acknowledged Pakistan’s close partnership with the Arab bloc and its member states.

The two sides discussed enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, energy, security, and other areas of mutual interest, and reaffirmed their commitment to working closely for regional peace, stability, and prosperity, it said.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a regional organisation comprising six Gulf Arab states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Established in 1981, the regional bloc GCC promotes cooperation among its member states in political, economic, security and social affairs.

GCC-Pakistan ties 

Pakistan enjoys longstanding and multifaceted relations with the GCC countries, covering trade, investment, defence, energy and people-to-people contacts.

The Gulf states are important economic partners for Pakistan and host a large Pakistani expatriate community, whose remittances contribute significantly to the country’s economy.

Pakistan also maintains close defence and security cooperation with several GCC members and regularly engages with the bloc on regional and international issues.

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