London: Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi affirmed, during talks with UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Yvette Cooper, that the signing of the Joint Statement concluding the negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GCC and the United Kingdom (UK) marks a new phase in the GCC-UK relations.

According to Qatar News Agency, during the discussions, the two sides reviewed GCC-UK bilateral relations and exchanged views on the latest regional developments. They also stressed the importance of intensifying international and regional efforts to enhance security and stability.