In May 2005, at the South America-Arab countries Summit held in Brasilia, Brazil, the MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, signed a Framework Agreement on Economic Cooperation.

The first MERCOSUR-Gulf Cooperation Council meeting was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 26-27 November 2005. A schedule was set up for negotiations towards a MERCOSUR-GCC free trade agreement, to be concluded in 2006.

Documents relating to the negotiations
26-27 November 2005	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Agreed minutes of the first MERCOSUR-GCC meeting
26-27 November 2005	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Press Communiqué of the first MERCOSUR-GCC meeting
10 May 2005	Framework Agreement between MERCOSUR and the Gulf Cooperation Council
10-11 May 2005	South America - Arabic Countries Summit, Brasilia Declaration
Source: Ministério das Relações Exteriores, Brasil; Subsecretaría de Política y Gestión Comercial, Dirección Nacional de Política Comercial Externa de Argentina

• Ministério das Relações Exteriores, Brasil
• Subsecretaría de Política y Gestión Comercial, Dirección Nacional de Política Comercial Externa de Argentina