The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed on Sunday Kuwait's congratulations to the leaders and peoples of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states on the occasion of the Council's 44th founding anniversary.

In an official statement, the Ministry affirmed Kuwait's commitment to continue joint GCC work with solidarity and collective responsibility towards a more integrated and influential future regionally and internationally.

The statement added that GCC states celebrate this anniversary as "the Council's journey began in 1981, embodying a unified Gulf political will and long-term strategic vision to strengthen cooperation, integration, and regional security."

It noted that Kuwait - as current chair of the Council - "was pioneering in proposing the establishment idea through the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (may God rest his soul), who believed in the Council's pivotal role in strengthening fraternal cooperation."

The statement recalled the decisive role GCC founding leaders played in establishing the Council, "demonstrating their wisdom and awareness of challenges as they laid firm foundations for constructive cooperation and joint coordination, achieving strategic accomplishments throughout this blessed journey."