Cyprus and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are a step closer to signing an MoU aiming to further enhance their relations, Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said Wednesday after his third meeting this year with GCC secretary general Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf.

The foreign minister said the visit reflected their joint will and commitment to further strong ties and relations in concrete ways, for the benefit of the people and the region as a whole.

“A testament to this, is that we are at the very final stages of concluding a Memorandum of Understanding for consultations between the government of the Republic of Cyprus and the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” he said.

The MoU will encapsulate and provide a context for a structured cooperation through thematic working groups, which will formulate a roadmap and identify our priorities on the way forward.

Al-Hajraf said Cyprus and the GCC have enjoyed a relation that was built on mutual interest, mutual respect and mutual understanding on what is going on around the region.

He said it was important the two parties “keep the momentum”, adding that “the lesson after the Covid 19 pandemic that only together and consulting with our friends we will be better equipped to face the challenges down the road.”