Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry, AP
"The meeting comes as part of consultation and coordination between the participating states to strengthen joint Arab action in dealing with the crises facing the region,” read a statement released by the spokesperson for the Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid.
The GCC, which comprises six Arab Gulf countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - regulary consults with other Arab countries on issues of mutual concern.
According to recent reports in various media outlets across the region, the foreign ministers of the nine Arab countries meeting in Jeddah could be discussing the situation in Syria and the future of the 12-year-old suspension of that Arab country from the Arab League.
The consultative meeting in Jeddah Friday comes two days after the visit by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Mekdad to Saudi Arabia where he met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the first such visit by a senior Syrian diplomat to the kingdom in more than a decade.
In a joint statement issued following this meeting, Saudi Arabia and Syria announced they are moving toward reopening embassies in their respective capitals as well as resuming flights between the two countries for the first time in over a decade.
Reuters had reported in early April that Saudi Arabia is considering extending an invitation to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to attend the upcoming Arab Summit, which the kingdom will be hosting in Riyadh on 19 May.
Al-Mekdad’s visit to Jeddah came two weeks after a similar visit to Cairo, where he met with FM Shoukry Minister Shoukry, the first such visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Egypt in over a decade.
In the meeting with his syrian counterpart, Shoukry reaffirmed Egypt's support for all efforts to reach a swift and comprehensive political settlement to the Syrian crisis according to relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
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