Uzbekistan Says Central Asian Countries, Gulf Countries Preparing Joint Summit

Central Asian countries and countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are preparing the first meeting of heads of state in the framework of the strategic dialogue, the Dunyo news agency, run by Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry, reported on Thursday

TASHKENT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Central Asian countries and countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are preparing the first meeting of heads of state in the framework of the strategic dialogue, the Dunyo news agency, run by Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry, reported on Thursday.

According to the report, ambassadors of Central Asian states and representatives of the GCC have met for consultations in Riyadh and agreed to hold the first GCC - Central Asia strategic dialogue summit of heads of state.

GCC Assistant Secretary-General Abdel Aziz Hamad Aluwaisheg said that the Gulf countries have always had good relations with the countries of Central Asia and were interested in the further development of these ties, as cited in the report.

Participants in the meeting expressed a unanimous commitment to the development of the GCC-Central Asia strategic dialogue, Dunyo said.

In September 2022, the countries of the Persian Gulf and Central Asia held their first meeting of foreign ministers in Riyadh.

The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. Central Asia comprises Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Afghanistan is part of the Central Asian region geographically.