Qatar invited to attend GCC summit
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Doha: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said on Wednesday that Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is invited to attend the bloc's 41st summit to be held on January 5 in Riyadh. The Secretary General Dr. Nayef Falah Al Hajraf handed over a formal invitation from the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud to the Emir during a meeting at the Emiri Court in Doha Palace on Wednesday.
The Saudi's cabinet 'wished for a successful summit to enhance joint action and enhanced cooperation between the country members,' according to a statement released on Wednesday by the official Saudi Press Agency.
"The 41st summit marks the beginning of a new chapter for the GCC as it enters its fifth decade. The GCC's focus today is on addressing the ambitions of the region's young and digital population, and enabling them to compete and lead in a globally-connected post-pandemic world," Al Hajraf said. "We will achieve it through joint efforts to restore economic growth in the region, resume free trade negotiations, and strengthen strategic partnerships with friendly countries."
President Donald Trump's advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner had recently visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which was seen as efforts to reconcile ties between Qatar and other GCC countries.