Riyadh, Jul 20 (IANS): The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Central Asian countries concluded a summit in Jeddah with plans for further cooperation.

The summit, which was chaired by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was the first-ever meeting between the six Gulf Arab countries and five Central Asian nations: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.

The leaders and heads of delegations of the participating countries agreed to hold an investment forum between Gulf and Central Asian countries in Saudi Arabia in the last quarter of 2023. They also announced the initiatives of Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan to host the GCC-Central Asian Investment Forum in 2024.

The summit agreed to hold the next summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 2025, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a statement, the Saudi Crown Prince said the summit was an extension of ties to establish a promising start based on the historical heritage, capabilities, human resources, and economic growth of the participating countries.

The summit announced the action plan adopted by the GCC and the Central Asian countries for 2023-2027, which includes political and security dialogue, economic cooperation and investment opportunities, and strengthening communication among people.