Foreign Ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held a joint virtual meeting on Monday with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs and State Councilor Wang Yi. The meeting was chaired by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in his capacity as a rotatory chairman of the current sessions. The meeting, held in the framework of the strategic dialogue between the two sides, was attended by GCC Secretary-General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf. At the outset of the meeting, the ministers expressed their condolences over the demise of the late Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, praising his relentless efforts and prominent role in enhancing joint Gulf action and promoting relations between the GCC and China and the world. The meeting discussed ways to enhance cooperation and friendship between the GCC states and China in various fields in order to achieve common interests and stress the importance of resuming free trade negotiations between the two sides. The meeting also assessed the region's political and security developments and the global anti-terrorism efforts, as well as several regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the Palestinian cause and the situations in Iran and Yemen while stressing the importance of coordinating to countering the challenges facing security and peace. Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, and a number of top GCC and Chinese officials attended the meeting. — SG
