Tashkent, April 15, 2024, The Europe Today: The Turkmen delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov, actively engaged in the II Ministerial Meeting of the Strategic Dialogue “Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf – Central Asia” (GCC + Central Asia) held on April 15 in Tashkent, as reported by the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The forum brought together senior officials from the foreign policy departments of Central Asian countries and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.
Key discussions at the meeting centered around enhancing comprehensive cooperation across trade, economic, investment, transport, communications, cultural, humanitarian, environmental, and tourism sectors within the GCC-Central Asia framework. Participants also reviewed the progress of implementing the Joint Action Plan for 2023-2027.
Additionally, delegates exchanged perspectives on current international and regional issues, and deliberated preparations for the upcoming GCC-Central Asia summit scheduled to take place in Uzbekistan in 2025.
The Turkmen delegation contributed valuable initiatives aimed at bolstering cooperation in vital sectors such as transport and communications, energy, trade, economics, culture, and humanitarian affairs.
Concluding the productive gathering in Tashkent, the heads of foreign affairs agencies from Central Asia and the Arab States of the Gulf issued a Joint Statement reaffirming their commitment to advancing cooperation and fostering mutual understanding between the regions.
