Minister of Culture and Information Abdulaziz Khoja said the GCC information ministers approved a number of plans to boost cooperation among the GCC states and fight terrorism.

Khoja, who attended the GCC ministers’ meeting on Thursday, said the ministers approved GCC Cultural Activities Plan for the years 2015-2016 consisting of ten main points including the establishment of a cultural training and qualification center in the Kingdom in 2016.

According to the ministers’ recommendations, Saudi Arabia will study the feasibility of holding Gulf Cultural Week in one of the countries during the year 2015, instead of the cultural days which was to be held in the Australian city of Sydney.

On global-GCC cooperation, the ministers approved the recommendations of the GCC Cultural General Committee concerning cooperation projects with Jordan and Morocco, and the promotion of joint cultural cooperation with ASEAN, the European Union, Russia, Britain, Turkey and China.

Khoja said his proposal of using culture in the fight against deviant ideology and extremism drew very positive response from the GCC ministers.

Khoja said the meeting took place at a time when the region was going through difficult circumstances, particularly with regard to the phenomenon of terrorism and extremism. He said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has warned in most of his speeches that the fight against terrorism is a joint responsibility.

Kuwait Information Minister Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah said the meeting urged GCC countries to take advantage of their media through a unified GCC information message and vision.

He called on the GCC to avoid calls instigating sectarian, religious and racial hatred and stand against extremism and terror, while hoping that the meeting would come up with recommendations that are conducive to boosting joint work between the GCC countries and unify the GCC vision on media and its role on the fate of the GCC states.

Bahraini State Minister of Information Affairs Samira Ibrahim bin Rajab said information has no longer looked at in its traditional conception, but rather, has become a new tool alongside armies to defend country.

In the meantime, the second GCC information forum concluded two-day sessions in Kuwait, which coincided with the meeting.

Part of the forum discussed the future of female information workers in the GCC countries.

Five female cadres participated in the deliberations, representing Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.

 
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