[UPDATED] Anwar: Amid global uncertainty, Asean-GCC ties more important than ever

New Straits Times

27-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: The relationship between Asean and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will be pivotal in strengthening interregional collaboration, fostering resilience, and ensuring sustainable prosperity for their peoples.
Asean Chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that both Asean and the GCC possessed the capacity and shared responsibility to emerge as pillars of stability and drivers of future growth.
"Asean remains one of the most peaceful and economically vibrant regions in the world. Meanwhile, the GCC has made a remarkable transformation — from a perception rooted in a desert culture to a thriving, forward-looking region driven by advanced technologies, including digital innovation and artificial intelligence.
"I believe the Asean-GCC partnership has never been more vital than it is today, as we navigate an increasingly complex global environment marked by economic uncertainty and geopolitical challenges
"A stronger Asean-GCC relationship will be key to enhancing inter-regional collaboration, building resilience, and securing sustainable prosperity for our peoples," he said in his opening remarks of the 2nd Asean-GCC Summit today.
Anwar said that the positive momentum of the Asean-GCC Framework of Cooperation 2024–2028, adopted during the previous summit, outlines a comprehensive strategy to deepen engagement across all three pillars of cooperation.
Describing the summit as "quite extraordinary," he expressed appreciation for the presence of both Asean and GCC leaders in Malaysia, which he said reflected their collective commitment to work together more closely.
He said today's deliberations would be crucial in ensuring that its partnership remained dynamic, responsive, and impactful.
"This Summit builds upon the foundations laid during the inaugural summit in Riyadh in 2023. Your presence is a testament to our shared commitment to foster stronger bonds between our two regions and further strengthen our strategic ties.
Anwar also said that Malaysia's Asean chairmanship theme, Inclusivity and Sustainability, encapsulated the region's aspirations for equitable, people-centred, and future-oriented growth.
"This theme aligns closely with the values upheld by both Asean and the GCC — stability through unity, prosperity through cooperation, and resilience through shared responsibility."
He said that investments between the two regions continued to grow, reflecting increasing confidence in the long-term potential of the partnership.
In 2023, the GCC was Asean's seventh-largest trading partner, with total trade reaching US$130.7 billion.