The Ministerial Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf held its 155th session at the headquarters of the General Secretariat today, headed by His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Chairman of the current session of the Ministerial Council, Mr. Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al-Busaidi, and with the participation of His Excellency the Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates Khalifa Shaheen Al-Marar, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Bahrain Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Council Cooperation for the Arab Gulf States, Mr. Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi.
The Ministerial Council congratulated His Excellency Mr. Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi for the high confidence of their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the GCC states in appointing him as the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council, wishing him success in his duties.
The Ministerial Council expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the victims of the earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria and caused great loss of life and infrastructure, affirming the support of the GCC countries with the Turkish and Syrian peoples, noting the solidarity stand and the official and popular support of the GCC countries for the afflicted and affected by the earthquake, stemming from their role. The great and extended in humanitarian and relief work.
The Ministerial Council condemned the repeated burning of copies of the Noble Qur’an in a number of European capitals in recent times, stressing the importance of the governments of those countries addressing the practices that provoke the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world.
The Council commended the decision unanimously taken by the United Nations General Assembly to adopt March 15 of each year, starting in 2023, to combat Islamophobia, during which a culture of religious tolerance, dialogue and coexistence is spread.
The Council welcomed the results of the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum in its third session, which was organized by the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action in partnership with the United Nations, regarding the promotion of collective humanitarian action and the provision of urgent development assistance. It also welcomed the “Manama Declaration” issued by the Inter-Parliamentary Union meetings hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bahrain during the period 11-15 March 2023 AD, under the slogan “Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Inclusive Societies: Fighting Intolerance”. Heads of state and government.
The Ministerial Council reviewed developments in the joint Gulf action, and developments in political issues regionally and internationally.
