GCC-ASEAN and Primakov annual meetings

Senior officials from GCC and ASEAN nations held Monday night their annual meeting, chaired by Qatar`s Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabor Al Than who chairs the current session of the GCC ministerial council. The meeting between the Association of South Eastern Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council dealt with political and economic relations between the two groups of nations with an eye toward bolstering them. The two sides also discussed issues of mutual interest, including the Middle East peace process, United Nations reform and environment concerns. They agreed to initiate practical steps to enhance coordination between them.

Another important annual meeting took place Monday night between GCC foreign ministers and Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov. It was also chaired by Qatar's Foreign Minister and attended by official representatives of all GCC countries. Primakov told reporters after the meeting that views of the two sides had been identical on issues discussed which emphasized the necessity of establishing peace in the Middle East on the basis of the land for peace principle."

Earlier Monday, the Qatari Foreign Minister met US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. They discussed bilateral relations and issues related to the Middle East and North Africa Economic Summit (MENA) to be held in Doha in November.