After a meeting on June 8 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries issued a joint statement.
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| US Secretary of State and GCC counterparts at a meeting on June 7. (Source: AFP) |
The statement stressed the importance and promising prospects of infrastructure projects to promote regional integration and connectivity, contributing to the stability and prosperity of the Middle East.
Diplomats highlighted the importance of countering terrorism and extremism worldwide and welcomed the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization, which took place on June 8 in Riyadh.
Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the US commitment to regional security, while emphasizing the region's important role in the global economy and international trade.
The GCC and the United States agreed to promote security and freedom of navigation in the region, as well as counter illegal actions at sea that could threaten shipping lanes, international trade and oil facilities in the GCC region.
The two sides also agreed to support maintaining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and continue to call on Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Regarding the conflict in Yemen, the US-GCC joint statement appreciated the efforts of Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Nations, and hoped that the parties would soon reach a political process to end the conflict in Yemen.
Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian tensions, the US and the GCC aim to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East consistent with the two-state solution and the 1967 borders.
The foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to reaching a political solution to the crisis in Syria in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
On Iraq, the diplomats discussed the importance of civilian efforts – including economic reform – to ensure Iraqis benefit from natural resources, as well as to protect the resilience of post-conflict communities.
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