GCC Chief: Japan A Strategic Partner To Gulf Countries

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) RIYADH, Feb 9 (KUNA) -- The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Al-Budaiwi underlined on Sunday how strong and historic relations are between GCC countries and Japan.
A statement by the GCC General Secretariat said the remarks were made during Al-Budaiwi reception of a delegation from the Japanese economic organization "Keidanren" headed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sumitomo banking Corporation, Masayuki Hyodo.
Al-Budaiwi said during the meeting that "Japan is a strategic partner of the GCC countries, as relations between the two sides have witnessed remarkable development over the past decades," expressing his appreciation for the prominent role played by the Keidanren organization in supporting and strengthening joint economic relations.
The GCC chief noted that negotiations on the free trade agreement between the Cooperation Council and Japan, which resumed in July 2023, achieved positive progress, as the first round of negotiations was held in December 2024 in Riyadh and included discussions on trade in goods and services, encouraging investment, digital trade, intellectual property and other topics of common interest.
Al-Budaiwi highlighted the joint action plan for the period 2024-2028, which aims to enhance cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, investment, education, health, tourism, cultural exchange and political coordination, stressing that this plan represents a roadmap to enhance the strategic partnership between the two sides.
Al-Budaiwi pointed out the volume of trade exchange between the GCC countries and Japan, which amounted to about USD 119 billion in 2023, stressing the importance of enhancing trade cooperation and working to raise the level of exchange to serve common interests.
The meeting also delved into ways on enhancing cooperation between the GCC and the Keidanren organization, in addition to discussing the latest economic developments on the regional and international arenas. (end)
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