Meeting discusses GCC free trade agreements

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi met on Sunday with the GCC negotiating team for free trade agreements via video conference.

During the meeting, Albudaiwi was briefed by the members of the negotiating team on the progress of the ongoing negotiations with several countries and the advancements made in this regard.

The secretary-general urged the negotiating team to exert more intensive efforts to achieve the common interests and desired benefits for the peoples of the council countries, and contribute to strengthening the GCC's position as an effective economic partner at the regional and international levels.

Albudaiwi also reiterated the General Secretariat's support for the negotiating team's efforts and stressed the importance of free trade agreements in advancing economic integration among the GCC countries and expanding the horizons of cooperation with the GCC's partners in various fields.

Last month, Jassem Al Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), met with Charles Kingston, Ambassador of New Zealand to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at the GCC Secretariat in Riyadh.

The meeting discussed a number of topics of mutual interest, foremost of which was the free trade agreement between the GCC countries and New Zealand.

The two sides also exchanged views on several regional and international issues.

In July, Jasem AlBudaiwi discussed the progress of implementing the 2024-2028 Joint Action Plan between the GCC and Azerbaijan with Shahin Abdullayev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Saudi Arabia.

According to a statement issued by the GCC General Secretariat, the discussion took place during a meeting at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh.

The meeting addressed the Joint Action Plan, adopted in November 2023, which aims to enhance cooperation and relations across areas of mutual interest, including political coordination, trade cooperation, investment opportunities and energy, among other topics.

Both sides also reviewed the latest regional and international developments.

WAM