GCC Secretary-General H E Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi attending the 44th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Doha yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) H E Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi said the 44th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Doha solidifies the GCC and its successful journey, which adopts consultation, coordination, interconnection, and integration as a path towards unity, stemming from a spirit of sincere brotherhood, belief in a common destiny, and the deep-rooted bonds among the peoples of the Gulf region.
In his speech at the summit’s opening session, he thanked Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the generous hosting of the summit.
He also thanked H M Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman for the remarkable work done and the tangible results achieved during His Majesty's presidency of the GCC Supreme Council this year.
The GCC Secretary-General said since its establishment, the council's journey went from success to success, praising efforts by leaders of the GCC states in leading this great council in a spirit of cooperation in facing challenges.
He said the region is surrounded by severe hardships, especially in relation to the grave bloody crimes committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza, praising in this context the GCC states’ firm and steadfast position in supporting the Palestinian people and alleviating their suffering, something that is a norm for GCC states.
He recalled the GCC Supreme Council’s first final statement delivered in Abu Dhabi on May 26, 1981, which emphasised that ensuring stability in the Gulf region is linked to achieving peace in the Middle East, stressing the need to arrive at a just solution to the issue of Palestine, one that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to return to their homeland and establish their independent state, ensuring the Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, most notably Jerusalem.
He warned against maintaining the occupation intact, depriving the Palestinian people their legitimate rights, and repeating systematic provocations against their sanctities, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities and to first work on ensuring an immediate ceasefire, facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and setting in motion a credible peace process leading to a two-state solution, in a way that achieves security and peace in the region and protects civilians.
The GCC Secretary-General noted the continuous high level coordination among members of the Ministerial Council in this regard, with their distinguished efforts resulting with the mobilization of regional and international support for the Palestinian people and alleviating their suffering.
Al Budaiwi touched on GCC accomplishments, attributing them to member states’ wise and balanced policies, stressing that the council has become a facilitator for countries and organizations wishing to consolidate relations and establish strategic partnerships with GCC member states.
He explained that the GCC Secretariat General is working diligently in coordination with GCC states to achieve their goals and interests of strengthening partnerships with countries as well as regional and international organizations. He also expressed his aspiration for even more cooperation arrangements and to consolidate the GCC’s prestigious position.
He also pointed out that this session will discuss various important dossiers related to strengthening joint GCC projects, localizing Gulf capital, integrating Gulf industries, enhancing GCC water, food, and energy security projects, dealing with environmental challenges, and activating the role of the private sector in the GCC states. He added that the session’s agenda also includes advancing digital transformation and artificial intelligence, as well as enhancing political, economic, developmental, security, and military cooperation and coordination priorities.
GCC Secretary-General concluded his speech by congratulating the UAE on the success of the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP28), Saudi Arabia on winning the bid to host Riyadh Expo 2030, and Qatar on hosting Expo 2023 Doha, commenting that these achievements will go onto GCC countries’ record of pivotal regional and international events they hosted.
