Saudi FM leads GCC coordination talks ahead of UN General Assembly

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah took part in a coordination meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council's ministerial council in New York, ahead of the UN General Assembly's high-level week, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The meeting was held at the headquarters of Bahrain's Permanent Mission to the United Nations. It focused on the main issues expected to be discussed during the General Assembly, as Gulf foreign ministers align their approach before the session's debates begin.

Prince Faisal arrived in New York to lead the Saudi delegation during the high-level week of the 81st session of the General Assembly, Saudi Gazette reported. He has served as Saudi Arabia's foreign minister since 2019.

The GCC ministerial council brings together the foreign ministers of the bloc's six members: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The council's General Secretariat is based in Riyadh. A coordination session held in New York just before the annual gathering lets the ministers compare positions ahead of the general debate, where each member state addresses the world body from the same podium.

Qatar is a founding member of the GCC, which was established in 1981, and takes part in the council's ministerial mechanisms. The initial reports did not include a list of the ministers who attended, the date of the meeting, or a joint statement or specific outcomes.