His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stressed that the countries of the Council and the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) always seek to enhance cooperation and coordination between them, and achieve the desired goals of this cooperation in a way that achieves the common interests.
This statement came during HE the Secretary General’s visit to the headquarters of the ASEAN, as part of his official visit to the Republic of Indonesia on Wednesday (July 31, 2024) in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, where he was received by His Excellency Mr Kim Hourn, Secretary General of the ASEAN.
At the beginning of the meeting, HE the GCC Secretary General stressed that this meeting comes within the framework of the GCC countries' efforts to build close relations with regional and international countries and blocs, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it comes within the framework of consultations and enhancing cooperation between the GCC countries and the ASEAN, based on common interests and deep historical ties between the two sides.
During the meeting, several topics of common interest were discussed and reviewed, emphasising the importance of implementing the outcomes of the decisions made at the Riyadh Summit held on October 20, 2023, between the GCC and the ASEAN countries. This includes welcoming the "ASEAN-GCC Cooperation Framework" for the period 2024-2028, which outlines the measures and cooperative activities that will be jointly implemented between the two sides in areas of mutual interest, such as political and security dialogue, trade and investment, communication between peoples, education, culture, tourism, media, and sports.
HE the GCC Secretary General stated that they discussed the upcoming joint meetings between the two sides, particularly the second summit that will be hosted by Malaysia in 2025, as well as other meetings at the ministerial level and involving senior officials that will take place prior to this summit.
He added that they exchanged views on the latest developments and issues in the regional and international arenas, with a particular focus on the crisis in the Gaza Strip. Both sides emphasised the need for an immediate ceasefire and for resolving the crisis in accordance with relevant international and UN resolutions.