ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Saudi Arabia to take part in the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Central Asian countries summit on July 19 in Jeddah, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, reported the Akorda press service.
President Tokayev visited Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, the mosque built by the prophet Muhammad in Medina. Photo credit: Akorda.
On July 18, the President visited the second shrine of Islam – Al-Masjid an-Nabawi – the mosque built by the prophet Muhammad in Medina, where Tokayev made ziyarat (visit) to the tomb of the prophet Muhammad.
The Gulf Cooperation Council for Arab States is a regional organization comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sapar Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdymukhamedov, and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as well as leaders of GCC member states, are expected to attend the event.
The summit participants are supposed to discuss the development of interregional cooperation in the political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres.
Saudi Arabia will also host the 18th GCC Supreme Council consultative meeting, which is supposed to serve as a platform for high-level discussions to address critical agendas, exchange views, and chart a collective course for the future.
Both events aim at enhancing interaction and cooperation between the GCC states and the countries of Central Asia.
In September last year, Riyadh hosted the first meeting of foreign ministers of Central Asian countries and GCC member states.
