Tashkent: A statement was issued today following the 44th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministerial Council Extraordinary Meeting, which reads as follows:
In light of the military escalation and developments in the Middle East region, the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council held its 44th extraordinary meeting on April 15, 2024, at the headquarters of the Qatari Embassy in Tashkent, on the sidelines of the joint ministerial meeting between the GCC and Central Asian countries.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and President of the current session of the Ministerial Council Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, was attended by Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Minister of Foreign Af
fairs of the Sultanate of Oman Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Yahya, and GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
The ministers discussed coordination mechanisms between the GCC states and joint action to confront these developments.
The council expressed its deep concern over the recent, [extremely] dangerous developments of military escalation in the Middle East region and their negative impact on regional security and stability, stressing the importance of reducing the escalation immediately to maintain the security and stability of the region, and the need for all parties to make joint efforts and take the approach of diplomacy as an effective mean in resolving conflicts, exercising the utmost levels of self-restraint, and sparing the region and its people the dangers of war.
The council called for the UN Security Council to fulfil its responsibility toward maintaining international peace and security, especially in th
is region that is extremely sensitive to global peace and security, and to prevent the crisis from worsening, which would have serious consequences if it expanded.
The council reiterated the firm position of the GCC regarding the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, demanding an immediate ceasefire and Israeli military operations, ensuring the provision of access to all humanitarian and relief aid and basic needs, and the necessity of operating electricity and water lines and allowing the entry of fuel, food and medicine for the residents of Gaza.
The GCC stresses the need for the international community to adopt effective policies and measures to reach an immediate ceasefire, as the continuation of this aggression has repercussions on the security and stability of the entire region and the continuation of tensions there.
The council called to halt the escalation and acts of violence against the Palestinians in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including the city of Jerusalem and the Islamic holy sit
es, and to stop settlement activity, land confiscation and attempts to displace the Palestinians from their lands.
The council called for an international conference in which all concerned parties participate to discuss all issues related to the Palestinian issue and to reach a solution based on ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
Source: Saudi Press Agency