Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - On 4 August 2022, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Vladimir Norov met with the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf.

During the meeting, it was noted that in recent years, cooperation between Uzbekistan and the GCC and its member countries has significantly intensified, enriched with new practical content.

The progress of the implementation of previously reached agreements, including within the framework of the agreement signed in 2021 of Memorandum of Understanding on the mechanism of mutual consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the General Secretariat of the Council, was considered.

Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf said that the GCC considers Uzbekistan as a key state in the region and highly appreciates the reforms being carried out in the country. The willingness of the Council to take measures to more effectively use the existing huge potential for interaction with Uzbekistan and build up contacts in all areas of mutual interest was emphasized.

An exchange of views took place on the schedule of upcoming events. Particular attention was paid to preparations for the first meeting of the Strategic Dialogue "Central Asia - Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf" this year, which will serve to strengthen ties between the two regions.

Topical international and regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, were discussed. The Secretary General of the GCC positively described the results of the International Conference on Afghanistan recently held in Tashkent. The importance of the practical work carried out by the Uzbek side to provide socio-economic and humanitarian assistance to this country was noted.

The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf is a regional organization whose members are Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia.