CAIRO: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Nayef Al-Hajraf and the Saudi minister of economy and planning, Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim, met Thursday in Riyadh to discuss several affairs related to strengthening cooperation and economic integration among the GCC states, such as the customs union and the GCC common market. The aim was to implement the decisions and directives of GCC state leaders. They focused on the importance of investing opportunities for economic integration and moving forward on the paths of collective benefit to achieve the objectives of the Gulf Economic Agreement. Al-Hajraf expressed his pride in the sustainable development plans the Kingdom is working on and the prospects for cooperation that will be strengthened and developed through the GCC. He stressed the latter provides possible means of support for enabling the implementation of joint Gulf plans and strategies. Al-Hajraf further praised the efforts made by the GCC states in facing the economic and trade challenges amid the pandemic. He also touched on the ways to enhance cooperation in light of these challenges for the benefit of the GCC states and peoples.