The second ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the GCC countries and Central Asian states was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Monday and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani chaired Qatar’s delegation at the meeting.
The strategic dialogue represents a stronger and more interconnected relationship between the GCC and Central Asian states. This partnership holds the potential to benefit both regions economically, politically, and strategically. It is an initiative aimed at building a strong partnership between the two regions. The first edition of the strategic dialogue was kicked off in September 2022 with the first ministerial meeting to establish a comprehensive partnership across various sectors and the first summit of the leaders of GCC countries and Central Asian states was held in July 2023 in Jeddah thus promoting stability and addressing regional challenges together while also boosting trade, investment, and financial ties.
The ministerial meeting comes at a time when the world is facing several challenges, especially in the region. This is a time when nations of similar values have to come together and find ways to de-escalate the situation and bring peace and dignity to the millions who are suffering due to arbitrary and illegal actions by some.
The Prime Minister in his speech noted that the joint ministerial meeting is held amid numerous global challenges, which include climate change, global food security crisis, terrorist threats, Islamophobia and others and has to be collectively addressed by the nations. He emphasised that the escalation the region has seen these days highlights the importance of maintaining effective engagement and coordination among various countries of the region to ensure regional stability and peace. He stressed that the common challenges in political, economic, cultural, trade, industrial and agricultural fields necessitate collective and coordinated action, in addition to setting innovative solutions and practical measures.
The Prime Minister stressed the need for exerting steadfast efforts at the global level to consolidate the joint Asian action and strengthen political and strategic relations between the two sides at collective and bilateral levels. The regular meetings at various levels and the strategic dialogue between the countries and their leaderships will enhance the infrastructure development, connectivity, and sharing of knowledge and expertise for workforce development along with collaborating on environmental protection and resource management.
The ministerial meeting is a vital mechanism for advancing the strategic dialogue and building a strong, multifaceted partnership between the GCC and Central Asian states.
