His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), affirmed that the joint ministerial meetings held separately with Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, and the United Kingdom have achieved positive results in enhancing bilateral relations. He praised their supportive and unwavering positions in standing with the GCC states against brutal Iranian aggressions.
Joint ministerial meetings were held today, Thursday, March 12, 2026, via videoconference, between the GCC and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Morocco, and the United Kingdom, respectively. The sessions were chaired by His Excellency Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and President of the current session of the Ministerial Council.
Participants included His Excellency Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan; His Excellency Dr Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt; His Excellency Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco; and Her Excellency Ms Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, alongside Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Foreign Ministers of the GCC states.
"These meetings were convened amid a dangerous and unprecedented regional escalation regarding the unjust Iranian attacks. Missiles and drones have been targeting the GCC states and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan since February 28, 2026, striking civilian facilities and vital sites, resulting in casualties, loss of life, and significant material damage," His Excellency said during the meeting. He described these acts as a flagrant violation of international law and the principles of the rules-based international order, which is founded on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
His Excellency further lauded the strong solidarity expressed by these brotherly and friendly nations against the nefarious Iranian attacks, and their support for the measures taken by the GCC states to defend their sovereignty and protect the security, stability, and safety of their citizens and residents.
"These joint meetings clarified that the threat of these attacks is not limited to the security of GCC states alone, but extends to the security of international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. As one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors, the Strait facilitates a significant portion of global energy supplies," His Excellency explained, warning that targeting commercial vessels and vital sea lanes represents a direct threat to the freedom of international navigation and exposes global trade and energy security to grave risks, which could lead to severe negative consequences for the global economy and the stability of international markets.
"The joint meetings welcomed the issuance of United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 2817 (2026), which was approved by 136 countries, and strongly condemned the heinous attacks carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran on the territories of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, considering them a violation of international law and a serious threat to international peace and security," His Excellency pointed out.
The Resolution also condemned the Iranian attack on residential areas and the targeting of civilian facilities, which resulted in casualties among civilians and damage to civilian buildings. The Security Council affirmed the right of the GCC countries and Jordan to self-defence, individually or collectively, in accordance with Article (51) of the Charter of the United Nations, calling on Iran to comply with the Security Council resolution by immediately ceasing all attacks it is carrying out against the GCC countries and Jordan, and also demanding that it immediately and unconditionally cease any provocation or threat to neighbouring states, including those that undermine maritime rights and freedoms, particularly around vital maritime routes including the Strait of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandab.
His Excellency the GCC Secretary General also stated that during these joint meetings, ways to enhance relations were discussed, and His Excellency also referred to a number of achievements as well as current and future projects that have been worked on with brotherly and friendly countries in a manner that serves shared interests.
His Excellency also recalled the Palestinian cause during the meetings, affirming that: “The Palestinian cause will remain at the core of our shared priorities, and we commend the intensive efforts undertaken by the GCC countries and the Arab Republic of Egypt to end the war on the Gaza Strip. We reiterate our firm support for the implementation of the tasks of the Peace Council in accordance with the comprehensive plan to end the conflict, in pursuit of a just and lasting peace that affirms the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, while we also praise in this regard the outcomes of the Board of Peace meeting held on February 19, 2026, and the directions it produced regarding this file.”
His Excellency also underlined that during the GCC-Moroccan meeting, the GCC reiterated its firm position regarding the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco with respect to preserving the security and stability of the Kingdom of Morocco and the unity of its territory, and once again welcomed United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 2797, which established autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the sole basis for resolving this regional dispute, and expressed support for the efforts of the Secretary General of the United Nations and his Personal Envoy for the Western Sahara file aimed at facilitating and conducting negotiations on the basis of the Moroccan autonomy initiative in implementation of the Security Council resolution, leading to a final settlement of this dispute.
His Excellency the Secretary General further explained that the joint meetings held today with brotherly and friendly countries also embodied the importance of the strategic partnership between the two sides in confronting shared security challenges, which require continued coordination and cooperation, in the belief that diplomatic solutions and constructive dialogue remain the best means to address crises, foremost among them the current crisis in the region.