Pompeo, GCC-Jordan-Iraq FMs focus on bolstering cooperation, facing challenges
Agreement on the need to counter Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region
NEW YORK: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, GCC counterparts from Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well as Iraq and Jordan held a meeting in New York, focusing on bolstering cooperation and facing challenges on regional and international scales. State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that Pompeo emphasized, during a Ministerial meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, “the importance of regional coordination to confront the region’s challenges, including through multilateral initiatives such as the International Maritime Security Construct and the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA).” Pompeo praised “the territorial defeat of (IS) in Iraq and Syria but warned that (IS) remains a threat and vigilance is still necessary.”
“Participants agreed on the need to bring peace and stability to Syria and Yemen and to ensure a secure and prosperous Iraq,” the statement added. The statement affirmed that the “GCC and the United States stressed the need to counter Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region.” Pompeo and the Foreign Ministers “had productive discussions on MESA - based on a united GCC - to advance prosperity, security, and stability in the region.” Furthermore, the US top diplomat “thanked the foreign ministers for their partnership with the United States.”
Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah attended the meeting, accompanied by Ambassador of Kuwait to the US Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The meeting was called upon by Pompeo and was held on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled attended a meeting concerning the latest developments in Syria. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled was invited to the meeting by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini. The meeting discussed international efforts to ease the humanitarian pains of the Syrian people and ways to overcome the conflict.
Furthermore, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled met separately with his Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Senegalese counterparts — Gedu Andargachew, Osman Saleh Mohammed, and Amadou Ba respectively. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled discussed with the officials ways to bolster bilateral relations between Kuwait and the officials’ respective countries and also touched on the latest developments within the regional and international arenas. Several officials, including head of Sheikh Sabah AlKhaled’s office Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad AlSabah, Kuwait’s Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi, and others, attended the meetings.
In the meantime, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled met with Dr Ghassan Salame, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). During the meeting, Sheikh Sabah AlKhaled reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to supporting the UN-led efforts to stabilize sisterly Libya. He applauded the strenuous efforts being made by Dr Salame in this regard, including the recently unveiled plan of action to restore peace and security across Libya. The UN envoy meanwhile thanked Kuwait for its support to the UN peacemaking efforts worldwide.
Separately, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled met with Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, to discuss the friendly ties and ways to promote cooperation in various fields. During the meeting, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled congratulated the Vincentian prime minister on the Caribbean country’s winning of non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.