TASHKENT, August 5. /“Dunyo” IA/. Yesterday, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Vladimir Norov met with Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Nayef Al-Hajraf, reports “Dunyo” IA correspondent.

According to Uzbekistan MFA, at the meeting, it was noted that in recent years Uzbekistan’s cooperation with GCC and its member countries has significantly intensified, enriching with new practical content.

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

Nayef Al-Hajraf noted that GCC considers Uzbekistan as a key state in the region and highly appreciates the transformations being carried out in the country. The readiness of the Council to take measures to make more effective use of the existing huge potential of interaction with Uzbekistan and to increase contacts in all areas of mutual interest was emphasized.

The parties exchanged views on the schedule of upcoming events. The main attention was paid to the preparations for the first meeting of the “Central Asia – Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf” Strategic Dialogue this year, which will serve to strengthen ties between the two regions.

Current international and regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, were discussed. The GCC Secretary General positively characterized the results of the recent International Conference on Afghanistan 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.