His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), affirmed that the Ministerial Meeting between the GCC and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is being held in an atmosphere filled with hope and aspirations for broader horizons of cooperation and partnership. He stated that it constitutes the main preparatory step paving the way for the anticipated summit, which will be a milestone in the relations between the GCC and ASEAN.
His Excellency's remarks came during the Ministerial Meeting between the GCC and ASEAN, on Sunday, May 25, 2025, in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, co-chaired by His Excellency Mr Enrique Manalo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait who is the President of the current session of the Ministerial Council, with the presence of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the GCC countries and ASEAN countries. Present in the meeting was also His Excellency Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary General of ASEAN.
At the beginning of his speech, His Excellency the GCC Secretary General expressed his thanks and appreciation to the friendly Malaysia, its leadership, government, and people, for hosting this meeting, and for the hospitality and good organisation, which once again reflected the country's civilized sophistication and distinguished diplomatic effectiveness.
During the speech, His Excellency mentioned that "today's meeting is being held at a pivotal moment in the history of our region and the world, where regional and international transformations intersect with the aspirations of our peoples for a more stable future, and the need for more coordinated, responsive, and integrated regional partnerships is increasing,"
His Excellency added that this meeting represents a favourable opportunity to exchange visions, evaluate achievements, and anticipate what our upcoming summit can contribute in terms of a qualitative shift in cooperation between the GCC and ASEAN countries.
"We are certain that this partnership, with its enormous potential, is capable of contributing to consolidating security, development, and prosperity in our regions, in a way that serves the interests of our peoples and enhances our joint presence on the international arena," His Excellency pointed out.
In the same context, His Excellency reiterated that the Palestinian cause will remain in the conscience of the GCC countries, as the first and central Arab and Islamic cause. He reiterated the GCC's steadfast positions towards the brotherly State of Palestine and the right of its people to establish an independent, sovereign state within the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.
"We reject all unilateral actions and call for effective international action that restores hope and achieves just and lasting peace. Furthermore, amidst the regional and international tensions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, there is an urgent need for a firm and unified stance, as well as deepening cooperation to ensure freedom of navigation and address any threats to the security of vital international waterways, including targeting commercial ships and threatening maritime navigation and international trade routes, as well as oil facilities, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982," His Excellency stressed.
His Excellency the GCC Secretary General also stated that today's meeting came in preparation for the summit event between the two sides, and embodies a collective commitment to push the course of this cooperation to broader and more influential horizons, reflecting the growing position of "our blocs" in the international economy, multilateral diplomacy, and sustainable development. He indicated that the General Secretariat of the GCC, since the Riyadh Summit between the GCC countries and ASEAN countries in October 2023, has sought to keep pace with the strategic priorities approved by the leaders of both sides, where specialised working groups were established, cooperation paths were activated in various fields, and a number of joint events were organised, foremost of which was the Economic Investment Forum in Riyadh in May 2024. "This event formed a qualitative platform for converging visions between the two sides, and to confirm beyond any doubt the common will to build a strategic economic partnership," His Excellency underscored.
Moreover, His Excellency reviewed the commodity trade between the GCC and ASEAN. "Firstly, the trade in goods between the GCC countries and ASEAN reached about 122 billion US dollars in 2023, which constituted more than 8% of the total trade in goods for the GCC.
"Secondly, the value of commodity exports and imports separately, the value of GCC exports to ASEAN countries amounted to about 76 billion US dollars, compared to imports of about 46 billion US dollars. Thirdly, the percentage of commodity exports from the GCC to ASEAN countries amounted to about 10% of the total commodity exports of the Council in 2023, while commodity imports amounted to 7% of the total commodity imports to the GCC countries," His Excellency explained.
His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi also affirmed that the GCC General Secretariat's commitment to harnessing all its technical and organisational capabilities to serve the objectives of the upcoming summit, and to work with the General Secretariat of ASEAN and the competent authorities in the GCC countries to achieve "what our leaders aspire to in terms of an effective and realistic partnership, in light of what our relations have accumulated of political trust, economic integration, and constructive institutional communication,"
He stated that "we look forward with great optimism to the future, and we believe that today's meeting represents a pillar for long-term integration, based on common interests, mutual respect, and the ambition to enhance peace and development in our regions,"
His Excellency concluded the speech by highlighting the importance of this meeting in its symbolism and timing, as it represents the institutional bridge between vision and decision, and between goals and implementation, and its success is an achievement for the partnership that has become the focus of increasing international attention, and presents an ideal model for rational and balanced regional cooperation.
"The results of the meeting will be a fundamental building block paving the way for a successful historical summit, which will be a platform to renew political commitment from the highest levels, and embodies our aspirations in building a strategic partnership that enhances security and economic development between our countries," His Excellency underlined.