His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), affirmed the determination of the GCC and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to strengthen their relations to broader horizons.
These remarks came during His Excellency's speech at the joint meeting between the GCC and CELAC, co-chaired by His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi, and Her Excellency Ms Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia (the country holding the presidency of CELAC for 2025).
The meeting was attended by Their Excellencies, the delegates of the CELAC countries, on Friday, September 26, 2025, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States of America.
His Excellency stressed that "today's meeting builds on the success of last year's meeting, which laid a solid foundation for the strategic relations between the GCC and CELAC." He expressed the two sides' joint determination to build on these achievements and enhance the partnership to serve their common interests.
"The world and the region have witnessed dangerous developments and grave challenges since the last meeting, foremost among them the recent terrorist attack on the State of Qatar, which represents a threat to regional and international security, a flagrant violation of international law, and an attack on the sovereignty of a GCC member state." His Excellency explained.
He affirmed the Council's full solidarity with the State of Qatar and its categorical rejection of any targeting that affects its security and stability or threatens the security of the region as a whole, stressing the need to enhance cooperation and coordination to confront these attacks and preserve stability.
His Excellency also expressed his deep concern about the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the immense human suffering it has caused, stressing that the situation requires urgent action from the international community. He reiterated the GCC's firm and unwavering position in support of a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue in accordance with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, and on the basis of the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
"The challenges related to energy security, maritime corridors, freedom of navigation, combating terrorism, and organised crime place a greater responsibility on everyone to unify efforts and enhance consultations between the two sides to confront these common threats." His Excellency pointed out.
Meanwhile, His Excellency underlined that the economies of the GCC countries represent a fundamental pillar of the partnership with CELAC, with a combined GDP of about 1.8 trillion US dollars, in addition to huge investment capabilities and large financial and oil reserves.
"This provides a solid basis for economic and trade cooperation with the Council's partners in CELAC and opens broad prospects for mutual growth and investment. On the other hand, CELAC has enormous economic potential, with a population of about 660 million and a combined GDP of about 7.8 trillion dollars." His Excellency highlighted.
He explained that the volume of merchandise trade between the GCC and CELAC was estimated at about 20-28 billion dollars in 2024, indicating that the trade balance was in favour of CELAC during the years 2023-2024 as a result of the decline in GCC exports and the increase in imports, especially food supplies from Brazil and Mexico.
He stressed that strengthening partnerships and exchanging experiences, despite the challenges of geographical distance and developmental disparities, can open new horizons for sustainable growth between the two regions.
His Excellency the GCC Secretary General also praised the proposals submitted by CELAC, which identified energy, digitisation, security, and sustainable development as priorities for future cooperation, underscoring that they are in line with the efforts of the GCC countries.
He explained that the GCC countries are implementing ambitious strategies in the field of energy, investing in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and clean technologies, in addition to their leadership in the field of digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and smart infrastructure, in addition to their collective efforts in promoting security, combating terrorism, organised crime, and cyber threats, as well as their commitment to achieving food security, the ability to cope with climate change, and the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
Moreover, His Excellency expressed the GCC's readiness to work side-by-side with CELAC, both as a group and at the country level, to transform these proposals into concrete programmes and joint initiatives, underlining that such cooperation will create real added value, promote inclusive growth, and contribute to achieving peace and stability in both regions and globally.
He concluded his speech by emphasising that the common interests and unified visions that bring the two sides together, along with a sincere commitment to strengthening dialogue and cooperation, will be translated into practical steps that contribute to achieving security and sustainable development.
He expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone who contributed to the preparation of this meeting, and prayed to Allah the Almighty to grant everyone success in their endeavors.
