The cohesive GCC system serves the Gulf citizen and studies his needs and aspirations

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, affirmed that the Gulf citizen is proud of the cohesive Gulf Cooperation Council system that serves him and studies his needs and aspirations in the economic, security and social fields, explaining that the Gulf countries seek to achieve a safe, stable and prosperous environment in the Middle East.

This came during the press conference held this evening at the conclusion of the forty-sixth summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in which the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, participated alongside Al-Zayani, where they shed light on the summit’s outcomes.

The Bahraini Foreign Minister indicated that Gulf calls for peace have begun to find an international echo, citing the response of the President of the United States of America to the call of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to achieve peace in Gaza and engage in efforts to resolve the Sudanese crisis, in addition to the clear humanitarian efforts made by the GCC countries.

Regarding joint defense cooperation, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council stated that the GCC countries have made distinguished progress in establishing a joint defense dome in partnership with their strategic allies, indicating that the work is on the right track, and its readiness will be announced at the appropriate time. He noted the planned joint military exercises, including a Gulf naval exercise, and a large joint exercise for all forces in the United Arab Emirates in early 2027.

In the context of the partnership with the European Union, the Bahraini Foreign Minister welcomed the visit of the Italian Prime Minister to participate in the summit, which came to reinforce the desire of European countries to consolidate and deepen the relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council. He stressed that Bahrain seeks to raise this relationship to the level of a strategic partnership in various fields, including economic, security, defence, technology, culture and education, noting that bilateral relations and trade exchange with Italy are witnessing distinguished growth.

Al-Zayani also confirmed that King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, directed that clear priorities be set for the work of the presidency during its current session, which were approved and blessed by the Supreme Council, explaining that these priorities aim to unify, intensify and focus efforts in various fields to serve the Gulf citizen. He pointed out the existence of a new proposed mechanism to determine priorities for each presidential country at the beginning of the summit session.

Regarding regional issues, Al-Zayani stressed the support of the GCC countries for the diplomatic and political efforts led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman to achieve stability and preserve Yemen’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, based on the Gulf Initiative.

Regarding relations with Iran, the Bahraini Foreign Minister stated that Iran is a neighboring country, and that the Kingdom of Bahrain will not be an obstacle to the return of normal relations with it, stressing the existence of existing communication, and wishing all peace and stability for Iran and its people.