Senior officials of the Gulf Co-operation Council countries gathered in Kuwait City on Tuesday for the organisation’s annual meeting.
Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Saudi foreign minister Adel Al Jubeir, Bahrain’s deputy prime minister, Mohammed bin Mubarak, and Oman’s deputy prime minister, Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud, arrived in Kuwait City to take part in the two-day GCC summit, which is normally attended by heads of state.
Faisal Al Mutlaqem, of Kuwait’s ministry of communications, said the agenda for the gathering is set regardless of who attends or what is happening in the region externally, amid reports from the ground that the summit will be held for one day only.
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Read more: GCC summit must seek to end Qatar crisis, Kuwait foreign minister says
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The summit, which will be held behind closed doors, places Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad in the same room as officials whose countries have boycotted Doha since June 5 over its alleged support of extremist groups.
Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain — all members of the GCC — together with Egypt, cut all diplomatic and transport ties with Doha.
According to the agenda for the annual meeting, the summit will be comprised of four sessions.
The opening of the first session is scheduled to take place at Bayan Palace at 5.30pm, after which the leaders will attend an official dinner hosted by the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah.
On Wednesday, the countries’ representatives are expected to convene for the second closed session at 11.30am.
A joint press conference is scheduled to be held at 12.30pm on Wednesday between Kuwait’s first deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah, and Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, secretary general of the GCC.
