GCC Secretary-General Affirms Aim to Sign Free Trade Agreement with UK During 2024

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said that there is an understanding regarding the importance of moving forward with finalizing the rounds of negotiations for a free trade agreement between the GCC and the United Kingdom (UK), with an aim to sign the agreement during the current year. Following his meeting on Wednesday in London with Secretary of State for Business and Trade of the UK Jonathan Reynolds, Albudaiwi said that he sees great interest coming from the new UK government and a true desire to finish the rounds of negotiations for a free trade agreement. Secretary-General of the GCC discussed with the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade the progress of the GCC-UK free trade negotiations agreement. Both sides affirmed their aspiration to speed up the pace of the negotiations and quickly hold periodic meetings between senior officials to finalize its chapters and sign them during the current year as it will contribute to enhancing cooperation and s trategic partnership. The meeting also touched on a number of topics of mutual interest, most notably economic and trade cooperation relations and ways to enhance and develop them. Source: Qatar News Agency