KUALA LUMPUR: Growing investment and ties between Southeast Asia’s 10-member bloc and the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reflect increasing confidence in the long-term prospects of the partnership between both groupings, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister said the ASEAN-GCC Framework of Cooperation 2024–2028, adopted at the inaugural Summit in 2023, provides a blueprint to deepen collaboration across all three pillars of cooperation and that the momentum is encouraging.
“In 2023, the GCC was ASEAN’s seventh largest trading partner, with total trade reaching US$130.7 billion. Investment is also growing, reflecting increasing confidence in the long-term prospects of our partnership,” he said at the Second ASEAN-GCC Summit here today.
Anwar believes that the ASEAN-GCC partnership has never been more important than it is today, “as we navigate an increasingly complex global landscape marked by economic uncertainty and geopolitical challenges.”
A stronger ASEAN-GCC relationship will be key to enhancing interregional collaboration, building resilience, and securing sustainable prosperity for the peoples.
“Today’s deliberations will be crucial in ensuring that our partnership remains dynamic, responsive, and impactful. Let us use today’s summit to reaffirm our collective ambition and translate our shared vision into concrete and impactful cooperation,” he said.
Among the ASEAN leaders at the events are the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah; Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto; Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet; Laos’ Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone; Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong; and Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Also present at the summit are Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao as Observer, and ASEAN secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn.
GCC delegates at the summit include the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman Hamad Al Khalifa, and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik al Said, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Farhan Al Saud and UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi are also in attendance.
