Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for stronger strategic ties between Asean and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), highlighting shared values and mutual interests as key pillars for future cooperation.
Speaking at the 2nd Asean-GCC Summit, Anwar stressed the importance of building upon the foundations laid during the inaugural meeting in Riyadh in 2023.
“Your presence is a testament to our commitment to foster stronger bonds between our two regions and strengthen our strategic ties,” Anwar said.
The first Asean-GCC Summit in Riyadh in October 2023 marked a historic milestone in relations between the 10-member Southeast Asian bloc and the six-member Gulf alliance.
The summit produced the Asean-GCC Framework of Cooperation 2024-2028, a comprehensive plan to enhance collaboration in political, economic, and socio-cultural areas. The agreement laid the groundwork for greater trade, investment, and multilateral engagement.
The 10 Asean member states are Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Vietnam. Timor-Leste hopes to be the 11th nation to join Asean, with its application likely to be approved by October.
The six GCC countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
In his keynote address, Anwar said that in 2023, the GCC was Asean’s seventh-largest trading partner, with trade reaching US$130.7 billion. He added that investment flows were also rising, reflecting increasing confidence in the long-term prospects of the partnership.
Anwar also tied Asean’s chairmanship theme, ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, to broader regional aspirations, calling it equitable, people-centric, and forward-looking.
He said this outlook aligns with shared Asean-GCC values such as “stability through unity, prosperity through cooperation, and resilience through shared responsibility.”
As global economic and geopolitical uncertainties continue to grow, Anwar said the Asean-GCC partnership is “more important than ever.”
He described a stronger relationship between the two blocs as vital for interregional collaboration, resilience, and shared prosperity.
Anwar said Asean and the GCC have the means and the responsibility to rise as anchors of stability and engines of future growth.
Image: Foreign Affairs Ministry
