RIYADH: Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Al-Budaiwi affirmed on Sunday that the GCC countries play a leading role in addressing the global health challenges. Al-Budaiwi said in a statement during his meeting with CEO of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), Dr Sania Nishtar, that the GCC countries play a leading role in providing support to countries in need of healthcare, with a focus on providing vaccines to combat epidemics and diseases, which embodies their joint firm commitment to addressing global health challenges.

The statement explained that the talks focused on topics of common interest, most notably discussing the efforts of the GCC countries in the fifth strategic plan of the GAVI Alliance for the years 2021-2025, in addition to reviewing topics related to epidemics and strengthening health systems. The CEO of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization praised the exceptional efforts made by the GCC countries and their pivotal role in providing the necessary support and meeting the needs of countries around the world in the field of healthcare.

Ministerial Council meeting

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council announced that the 161st Ministerial Council meeting of the Cooperation Council would be held on Monday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh. The meeting will be attended by Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the GCC countries and chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar and President of the current session of the Ministerial Council.

The seventh joint ministerial meeting for the strategic dialogue between the GCC and the Russian Federation would take place in the attendance of Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Additionally, the joint ministerial meeting for the strategic dialogue between the GCC and the Republic of India will be held in the presence of Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India.

The joint ministerial meeting between the Cooperation Council and the Republic of Brazil will also take place, to be attended by Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Al-Budaiwi indicated that the joint meetings with the Russian, Indian, and Brazilian delegations, which will be conducted separately on the sidelines of the 161st Ministerial Council meeting, reflect the GCC countries’ commitment to exploring and opening new horizons for cooperation.

He added that the GCC Ministerial Council will discuss several reports regarding the implementation of decisions made by the Supreme Council of the GCC during the 44th Summit held in Doha in December 2023. The Council will also review memoranda and reports submitted by the ministerial and technical committees and the General Secretariat, as well as topics related to dialogues and strategic relations between the GCC countries and various nations and global blocs. Furthermore, the Council will address the latest regional and international developments affecting the region.

Al-Budaiwi also discussed on Sunday with Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou the latest regional developments, most notably the crisis in the Gaza Strip. The GCC Secretariat General said in a statement that this came during Al-Budaiwi’s reception of Papadopoulou at the Secretariat headquarters in Riyadh, where the two sides discussed the latest regional developments, most notably the crisis in Gaza and the tragic and dangerous conditions caused by the occupation forces in the Palestinian territories as a result of their continuous violations against the Palestinian people. — KUNA