His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), affirmed that today's meeting underscores our insistence on strengthening cooperation and developing this renewed partnership to reflect our ambitions and meet the requirements of the current phase with concrete initiatives and practical projects, as well as to translate our political will into tangible achievements, which will contribute to consolidating the strategic partnership between the two sides.
These remarks came during the convening of the Ministerial Meeting for the Strategic Dialogue between the Cooperation Council and the United Kingdom (UK), today, Wednesday, September 24, 2025, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in the United States of America in the state of New York.
The meeting took place under the joint chairmanship of His Excellency Mr Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait and President of the current session, and Her Excellency Ms Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs in the United Kingdom (UK), with the participation of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Foreign Ministers of the GCC countries.
At the beginning of his speech, His Excellency the GCC Secretary General welcomed Her Excellency the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs in the UK, stressing that "our meeting embodies the depth of historical ties and confirms our insistence on enhancing cooperation and developing this renewed partnership to reflect our ambitions and meet the requirements of the current stage."
He congratulated Her Excellency the Minister on the occasion of her assumption of this position. "We look forward to working to serve bilateral relations." His Excellency said.
His Excellency also mentioned that our "meeting today is being held in light of extremely dangerous regional and international conditions, and we condemn the brutal Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar, in a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, a breach of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, a threat to the security and stability of the region, and a direct undermining of the efforts of the State of Qatar and its strenuous endeavors with its partners the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages and detainees. The convening of the two emergency summits in Doha following this aggression embodies the unified Gulf and Arab-Islamic position in rejecting the aggression, as the two summits issued clear and decisive statements in their condemnation of the heinous criminal act carried out by the Israeli occupation forces, and affirmed the unanimous commitment of the participating countries to support the State of Qatar in the face of the Israeli attack, holding it fully responsible for the repercussions of its aggressive actions, and the need for urgent international action to deter and hold it accountable."
Moreover, His Excellency reiterated his assertion that the security of the GCC states is an indivisible whole, and that any attack on a member state represents an attack on all of them, based on the commitment to the principle of collective defense and the protection of the stability of "our countries and peoples and the protection of our sovereignty."
"The brutal Israeli aggression to which the Palestinian people are subjected, which has left tens of thousands of dead and wounded, most of them women and children, and the persistence of the Israeli occupation forces in their criminal practices and their blatant disregard for all international norms, will lead to serious repercussions that threaten regional and international peace and security. We condemn the crime of genocide committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the population of the Gaza Strip, the deliberate policy of siege that has led to famine in the Gaza Strip, and its practices aimed at the forced displacement of the civilian population and the destruction of infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, in violation of international law and international humanitarian law," His Excellency said.
In the same context, His Excellency affirmed the Cooperation Council's insistence on the necessity of reaching a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, providing international protection for the Palestinian people, and ensuring unimpeded access for all humanitarian aid.
"We affirm the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international resolutions." His Excellency underscored.
His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi also expressed his deep appreciation and gratitude to the UK for its decision to recognise the State of Palestine, describing it a historic and courageous decision that reflects a firm commitment to justice and international legitimacy, and gives the Palestinian people a glimmer of hope in their journey towards freedom and independence. He stated that this step represents a clear message that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the only way to achieve a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region.
"The Cooperation Council is firm in its position on the importance of adhering to the rules of the international order, the principles of good neighbourliness, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, refraining from the use or threat of force, and favouring peaceful solutions to resolve conflicts to ensure a safe and stable environment for our nations and peoples. We stress the importance of maintaining maritime security and waterways, and confronting activities that threaten the security and stability of the region and the world, including the targeting of commercial ships and threatening maritime shipping lanes and international trade," His Excellency pointed out.
Besides, His Excellency said that the strategic partnership between the Cooperation Council and the UK was built on solid historical foundations, aimed at establishing the pillars of security, stability, and prosperity at the regional and international levels. Highlighting key economic figures among both sides, His Excellency added: "On the economic front, the UK's investments in the GCC countries exceeded $200 billion, while the Council's investments in the United Kingdom amounted to more than $60 billion in 2022. The volume of trade exchange between the two sides reached about $32 billion in 2023."
His Excellency indicated that these indicators confirm that the opportunity is ripe to complete the free trade agreement between the two sides, which will benefit all our economies and open broader horizons for cooperation in multiple fields. He stated that these negotiations have been prolonged and that signing the agreement has become the only way through which we can affirm our genuine common desire to move forward in this relationship.
"We value and appreciate the message sent by His Excellency the Prime Minister of the UK to the leaders of the GCC countries, in which he affirmed the British side's aspiration to finalise the free trade agreement negotiations between the two sides," His Excellency highlighted.
His Excellency expressed his pride in the high status that these historic strategic relations have reached on many levels, including academic and scientific. He noted that for some time we have witnessed an increase in the number of male and female Gulf students studying in various universities across the UK, in addition to an increase in the number of Gulf tourists in light of the excellent visa facilitation provided by the British side for Gulf citizens.
