Riyadh: Based on the gracious invitation of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the People's Republic of China held their meeting today in Riyadh, chaired by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the meeting issued the following statement:
- The leaders agreed to strengthen the existing strategic partnership between the GCC and China, and emphasized pushing it towards new horizons in various political, economic and cultural fields, and approved the joint action plan for the coming period (2023-2027) to achieve this.
- The leaders directed the continuation of the strategic dialogue between the two sides at all levels to discuss issues of common concern and coordinate positions on them, support international economic recovery efforts, address the negative economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges, work to ensure flexibility of supply chains, security of food and energy supplies, and advance building cooperation relations in developing clean energy sources and technologies, assisting countries most in need and contributing to meeting their humanitarian needs.
- The leaders emphasized the importance of mutual support in order to achieve the common interests of both sides, as China supports the efforts of the GCC states to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity, maintain its security and stability, and achieve integrated development. The GCC states also support China's efforts to develop its economy, maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and adhere to the one-China principle.
- The leaders stressed the importance of continuing to deepen cooperation between the two sides in the fields of energy, trade, investment, finance, industry, advanced technology, space and health, in the common interest of both sides, including completing free trade negotiations between them as soon as possible.
- The leaders expressed their keenness to promote dialogue between civilizations, communication and mutual benefit between different cultures, and to preserve cultural diversity. They emphasized that tolerance and coexistence between nations and peoples are among the most important principles and values upon which the international community is based. They encouraged communication and cooperation between the two sides in the fields of culture, education, tourism, media and sports, friendly exchange between intellectual institutions and rapprochement between peoples.
- The leaders praised the Qatar's success in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, its good organization, and its positive effects on the human heritage and the cultural and intellectual rapprochement between the peoples of the world. The leaders also denounced the malicious media campaigns directed against the Qatar. They welcomed the Qatar's hosting of the meetings of the second part of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), from March 5, 2023, to March 9, 2023, at the level of heads of state and government.
- The leaders expressed their condemnation of terrorism, whatever its source, and their rejection of all its forms and manifestations, and work to dry up its sources of financing, and expressed their determination to strengthen regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism, and to prevent financing, arming, and recruitment of terrorist groups of all individuals and entities, and to confront all activities that threaten the security of the region and its stability.
- The leaders discussed regional and international issues, where visions agreed on the importance of concerted efforts to achieve peace, security, stability and prosperity in all parts of the world, and the priority of restoring international peace and security, through mutual respect and cooperation between countries to achieve development and progress, and adherence to the principles of international law and international humanitarian law, the Charter of the United Nations and good neighborliness, preserving the international order based on respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, and non-use or threat of force.
- The leaders stressed the need to support the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the GCC region, and ensure the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme, in order to preserve regional and international security and stability. They reaffirmed the call on Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- The two sides stressed the need for relations between the GCC states and Iran to be based on following the principle of good neighbourliness and non-interference in internal affairs, respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and resolving disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law, and not resorting to the use of force or threatening to use it, and maintaining regional and international security and stability.
-The leaders stressed the importance of a comprehensive dialogue with the participation of the countries of the region to address the Iranian nuclear file and destabilising regional activities, address support for terrorist and sectarian groups and illegal armed organisations, prevent the proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, ensure the safety of international navigation and oil installations, and adhere to UN resolutions and international legitimacy.
- The leaders affirmed their support for all peaceful efforts, including the initiative and endeavours of the United Arab Emirates to reach a peaceful solution to the issue of the three islands; Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, through bilateral negotiations in accordance with the rules of international law, and to resolve this issue in accordance with international legitimacy.
- The leaders called on the Republic of Iraq to respect the sovereignty of Kuwait and the sanctity of its lands and to abide by Security Council resolutions, especially Resolution No. 833 and the agreements concluded between the two countries and deposited with the United Nations. The leaders also called on the Republic of Iraq to complete the demarcation of the maritime borders with Kuwait.
- The leaders stressed the need to reach a just solution to the Palestinian cause on the basis of the two-state solution, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, stopping settlement and all unilateral measures, and respecting the historical status quo in the city of Jerusalem and its sanctities.
- The leaders affirmed their support for the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen, headed by His Excellency President Dr Rashad Al Alimi, expressing their hope to reach a political solution in accordance with the GCC initiative and its Executive Mechanism, the outcomes of the Yemeni National Dialogue Conference (NDC) and the Security Council resolution 2216. They called on all Yemeni parties to immediately initiate direct negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations, and to adhere to the continuation of the armistice, and to support the humanitarian, relief and development needs of the Yemeni people, and the leaders condemned all terrorist attacks launched by the Houthi militia on civilian targets in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Yemeni interior and in the waterways and international shipping routes, and called on all countries to cooperate in combating these acts and to abide by the arms embargo stipulated in Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2624.
- The leaders affirmed their full support for Iraq's sovereignty, security, stability, development and prosperity, and for its efforts in combating terrorism. They also stressed the need to intensify efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that preserves Syria's unity and sovereignty in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254, and their standing with the Lebanese people and their continued support for Lebanon's sovereignty. security and stability, and for the Lebanese Armed Forces to protect its borders and resist the threats of extremist and terrorist groups. They also affirmed their support for efforts seeking to resolve the Libyan crisis in accordance with Security Council resolutions, encouraging all Libyan parties to hold elections, unify state institutions, under the supervision of the United Nations, and the exit of all foreign fighters and mercenaries.
- The leaders stressed the importance of strengthening security and stability in Afghanistan, intensifying efforts in providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, and calling on the de facto authority in Afghanistan to implement its obligations to guarantee the basic rights, interests and freedoms of all Afghan people, to form an inclusive government, and to ensure that Afghan lands are not used by any terrorist groups, or the exploitation of Afghan territory to export narcotics.
- The leaders affirmed their positions in support of all international efforts aimed at finding a political solution to end the crisis in Ukraine, in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, in order to achieve protection of lives and property, and to preserve regional and international security and stability.
