JEDDAH: The first-ever summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations and the five Central Asian states will start in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday.
Leaders from the GCC countries and the Central Asian nations of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, will participate in the summit. The meeting will discuss means to strengthen coordination and cooperation between the two sides in diverse sectors.
Saudi Arabia to Host 1st Gulf – Central Asian Summit on Wednesday
Commenting on the development, Uzbek Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Bakhromjon Aloev termed the first Gulf-Central Asian summit as historic, adding that it is a new form of interregional cooperation between two very significant regions in the world in terms of economy.
Talking to the media, the minister emphasized that cooperation between GCC nations and Central Asian countries carries strategic significance in view of the tough global situation. Strengthening the current ties between the two sides in modern circumstances meets the longstanding interests of both regions, he maintained.
The Minister also stressed that developing his nation’s ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) comes at the forefront of his country’s foreign policy priorities. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has great credibility and financial capabilities not only in Islamic and Arab nations but worldwide,” he added.
The summit is being organized in light of the growing regional and global interest and competition in the five Central Asian nations, in view of its geostrategic significance, and the natural resources that these states possess, which qualify them for great developmental jumps.
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The Gulf nations, particularly, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), were among the first nations that were keen to develop their ties with the nations of Central Asia, based on the historical ties between the two sides and the fact that the region is a natural extension of the Gulf, and for centuries it and the Arabs were part of a major Islamic empire.
#Jeddah | We welcome H.E. the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 🇸🇦🇰🇿 pic.twitter.com/6191Cutkmj
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) July 18, 2023
Meanwhile, several leaders of Central Asian states also arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend the summit.
The leaders of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Tuesday to attend GCC-Central Asian Countries Summit. According to Arab news, presidents of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Emomali Rahmon and Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Jeddah.
The two leaders were warmly received on arrival by the deputy governor of the Makkah region Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz at the airport. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also arrived in Madinah and also visited the Prophet’s Mosque ahead of the GCC-Central Asian countries summit.
