Arab states remain open to dialogue with Iran, but diplomacy requires a willingness to respond in kind, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi said on Saturday, as he called for the restoration of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. "The GCC states have always called for dialogue and negotiation to resolve any issue in the region, and they still do," Al Budaiwi told the 22nd IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. He said the six-member bloc maintained relations with major international powers and kept channels of communication open with neighboring countries, including Iran. "In a region of widening divides, this ability to talk to all sides is one of the few assets left," he said. "But diplomacy needs partners, partners who respond in kind."