Kuwait diplomat: GCC backs transparency, good governance initiatives

VIENNA, May 28 (KUNA) -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is committed to throwing weight behind international initiatives to prop up transparency and good governance, said Kuwait's Ambassador in Austria and its Permanent Representative to the UN in Vienna Talal Al-Fassam.
Al-Fassam, who doubles as the current chief of the Council of GCC Ambassadors in Vienna, made the remarks to KUNA on Wednesday following the council's periodical gathering, which included a fruitful meeting with Dean of the International Anti-Corruption Academy Prof. Slagjana Taseva.
He said that the meeting came in the context of continued diplomatic efforts to consolidate bilateral and multilateral relations and broaden areas of multilateral cooperation in order to serve mutual interests and values.
He elaborated that the meeting had focused on ways of developing cooperation between the GCC and the academy in the fields of training, capacity-building and exchange of expertise in the area of fighting corruption and promoting integrity.
Al-Fassam underlined that the GCC attaches much significance to this vital domain as being a core pillar of attaining sustainable development and establishing confidence in institutions.
He spoke highly of the International Anti-Corruption Academy's pioneering anti-corruption role and its status as a prestigious global platform for training personnel and building effective anti-corruption partnerships. (end) amq.mt