RIYADH, July 17 (KUNA) -- GCC Secretary General Jassem Al-Budaiwi discussed late Monday the alarming developments in the Middle East and de-escalation efforts with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said a statement by the council's Secretariat Tuesday.
In a phone conversation, the officials exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of common interest, most notably the latest developments in the war between Iran and the Israeli occupation forces, in addition to the efforts being made to achieve de-escalation and promote security and stability.
Secretary General of the GCC affirmed the Council's commitment to supporting international and UN efforts, as reflected in the statement issued by the 48th Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the GCC Ministerial Council regarding developments in the region.
In that statement, the Ministerial Council expressed the need for an immediate ceasefire to maintain the security and stability of the region, for all parties to make joint efforts to de-escalate tensions, to adopt diplomacy as an effective means of settling disputes, to exercise maximum restraint, and to spare the region and its peoples the dangers of war.
For his part, Guterres praised the GCC's positive role in supporting endeavors aimed at defusing the current situation and maintaining regional security, affirming the UN's aspiration to strengthen cooperation with the GCC in various areas of common priority. (end) ase.gta