GCC, EU Senior Officials Discuss Economic Partnership

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Sept 5 (KUNA) -- Senior officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries and the European Union convened the 33rd Meeting of the EU-GCC Joint Cooperation Committee in Brussels on Friday.
The meeting, co-chaired by Najeeb Al-Bader, Kuwait's assistant foreign minister, Helene Le Gal, managing director for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region - EU European External Action Service (EEAS), gathered representatives of the GCC Secretariat and the European Commission.
It provided an opportunity for both sides to discuss the progress in various aspects of their partnership, Al-Bader told KUNA.
"We have reviewed Kuwait's efforts to set the stage for the 29th EU-GCC Ministerial Meeting and the High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation, due on October 5-6," he noted.
Kuwait is also preparing to host the EU-GCC Business Forum on November 5, which provides a valuable platform for enhancing the partnership in the economic, commercial and investment fields.
"The agenda topics of today's meeting highlighted the progress in the political, economic, social and security areas of cooperation, as well as the latest developments of the free trade talks.
"The meeting reflected a high level of mutually-beneficial cooperation between the GCC countries and the European partners," Al-Bader pointed out.
The GCC side in the meeting highlighted the need of strengthening the strategic coordination against the backdrop of regional and international challenges, to ensure sustainability of development plans.
"We have also stressed the need of launching joint initiatives in such areas as digital economy, energy security and green transformation," the Kuwaiti senior official added.
On behalf of the GCC side, Al-Bader reaffirmed support to the Palestinian people in their legitimate right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to the regional and international efforts aiming to establish fair and permanent peace in the Middle East. (end)
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