Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, the Secretary General of the GCC, and the U.S. Secretary of State met today in New York for the fourth ministerial meeting of the GCC-U.S. Strategic Cooperation Forum (SCF). Since its establishment in March 2012, this Forum has served to enhance strategic cooperation and coordination of policies which advance shared political, military, security and economic objectives in the Gulf region. On the basis of today’s important discussions, the GCC and the United States reached consensus on additional concrete steps to combat Da’ish (ISIL), discussed the region’s central challenges, and considered ideas to bolster regional stability and security while further deepening political, security, economic and cultural cooperation.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Gulf Cooperation Council Foreign Ministers in New York City on September 25, 2014. Photo: U.S. Department of State.

Read the complete Joint Communique from the 4th U.S.-GCC Strategic Cooperation Forum