New York, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the joint ministerial meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the countries of South America and the Caribbean, held on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. The GCC delegation was chaired by Sultan Saad Al Muraikhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, currently presiding over the GCC Ministerial Council. Eduardo Enrique Reina Garcia, Minister of State in the Office of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Honduras and current president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), chaired the South American and Caribbean side. Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the GCC, also participated in the meeting. The meeting focused on enhancing the historical ties between the GCC and the countries of South America and the Caribbean. Both sides explored avenues for cooperation in economic, commercial, invest ment, and developmental fields, with the aim of strengthening the partnership and serving their common interests. In addition, the ministers addressed regional and international developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East, including the conflict in Gaza. They discussed Arab and international efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire and explored ways to tackle the challenges facing the region and the world. The meeting was attended by Jamal Faris Al Rowaiei, Bahrain's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Source: Bahrain News Agency