Kuala Lumpur: Strategic cooperation with ASEAN member states and efforts to resolve the Gaza and the broader Palestinian issue were the main focus of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries at the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit, held in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit here. This commitment is aimed at ensuring continued prosperity and stability in both the ASEAN and Middle Eastern regions.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Secretary-General of the GCC, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, stated that the GCC is committed to leveraging all its technical and organisational capabilities to achieve the objectives of the ASEAN-GCC summit and to strengthen close cooperation between the ASEAN Secretariat and the GCC. He emphasized that this aims to achieve what leaders aspire to in terms of effective and realistic cooperation, building on political trust, economic integration, and constructive institutional communication.
At the same time, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya highlighted the necessity of the summit reflecting a shared political will to consolidate a comprehensive strategic partnership grounded in mutual respect and common interests. He noted the rapid transformations occurring globally, necessitating the activation of collective action and the strengthening of partnerships to tackle challenges such as geopolitical and economic crises, climate change, food and health security, cyber threats, and unstable supply chains.
Al Yahya also underscored the importance of enhancing cooperation between the GCC and ASEAN in three key areas: regional and international peace and stability; expanding economic, trade, and investment collaboration; and strengthening humanitarian, cultural, and social cooperation.
On the Palestinian issue, the GCC countries reiterated their firm support for the Palestinian people's struggle and their right to establish an independent and sovereign state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Oman's Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, Sheikh Khalifa Ali Al Harthy, called for immediate international action to halt the genocide in Gaza, open border crossings for humanitarian aid, and resist any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza.
Echoing Oman's position, Saudi Arabia, through its Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral International Affairs, Dr Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al-Rassi, strongly condemned the Israeli regime's actions against the people of Gaza. He stated that the Saudi government categorically rejects the violations against the Palestinian people and appreciates ASEAN's stance and support for their cause.
The 46th ASEAN Summit and related meetings are being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, alongside the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit. The ASEAN Summit gathers leaders of member countries to discuss regional developments and chart the future direction of the bloc.