The Saudi ambassador to Australia and New Zealand Nabil bin Mohammed Al Saleh welcomed the convening of the meeting of high-level officials of GCC foreign ministries and Australia which wrapped up in the Australian capital of Canberra the day before yesterday. In a statement to SPA, Al Saleh said today that the meeting reviewed the progress and plan of joint work between the two sides for the period from 2013 - 2016, including the fields of political and economic cooperation. He said the meeting constitutes a chance to build on the plan forged between the two sides as part of the strategic GCC and Australian dialogue which kicked off in 2011. He added that the balance of trade between the two sides soared from $4 b. in 2001 to $12 b. in 2014. Ambassador Al Saleh, who led Saudi Arabia's delegation to the meeting, addressed the event, casting light on the Kingdom's position on Middle East thorny issues and its initiatives to bring about peace and stability in the region and the world at large. Dr. Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Owaishiq, GCC Assistant Secretary General for foreign affairs, and other representatives of GCC countries also took part in the meeting.
