Blinken, GCC stress need to find a ‘political solution’ in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Gulf diplomats stressedduring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministerial meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the need to reaching a political solution for the Syrian crisis.
Foreign ministers of the GCC held the Joint Ministerial Meeting on Strategic Partnership chaired by Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman.
On the agenda of the meeting that was held at the General Secretariat headquarters in Riyadh were key regional issues, including conflicts in Yemen, Sudan, Syria and the Palestinian territories.
As for Syria, Blinken said, “We are determined to find a political solution in Syria that maintains its unity and sovereignty and meets the aspirations of its people.”
“Together, we are working to achieve a… resolution to the conflict in Yemen…continue to counter Iran’s destabilising behaviour,” Blinken told the GCC ministers.
The US Secretary of State highlighted several areas of focus to achieve what he called the “enduring end” of the Islamic State (ISIS).
Arab ministers welcomed Arab efforts exerted to solve the Syrian crisis under the approach Step-for-step agreed up on during the Amman Consultative Meeting that was held in early May.
The ministers also expressed support to the US forces and the Global Coalition led by the US that seek to achieve “enduring defeat of ISIS.”
The United States remains committed to its Gulf Arab partners, Blinken told Gulf diplomats.
“The United States is in this region to say we remain deeply invested in partnering with all of you,” Blinken said at the opening of the US-GCC ministerial meeting.
Blinken also stressed that his country is working to “widen and deepen the normalisation of relations with Israel.”
Riyadh right now is hosting a ministerial meeting of the 80-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
Late on June 6, Blinken arrived in Jeddah for a much anticipated visit amid frayed ties due to deepening disagreements on everything from Iran policy to regional security issues, oil prices and human rights.
Blinken’s visit comes at a time of accelerating shifting alliances in the Middle East focused on a Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iranian normalization that has been underway since March.