The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, held discussions on Thursday with NATO’s Special Representative for the Secretary-General, Javier Colomina, focusing on ways to enhance cooperation between the GCC and NATO.
The talks took place on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
During the meeting, Albudaiwi outlined the GCC’s position on various regional and international issues, including the latest developments in Gaza and Lebanon.
Both sides emphasized the importance of closer collaboration to address ongoing security challenges and geopolitical shifts in the Middle East.
The GCC, established in 1981, is a political and economic alliance of six Middle Eastern countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
It was founded to foster unity and cooperation among its member states, particularly in economic, security, and defense matters.
NATO, on the other hand, is a military alliance formed in 1949, consisting of 31 member countries, primarily in North America and Europe, with the mission to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through collective defense.
The relationship between the GCC and NATO has grown in recent years, as both entities face shared security concerns such as terrorism, regional instability, and the rise of non-state actors.
The two organizations have worked together on various security initiatives, including counterterrorism efforts and maritime security operations.
