First-ever ASEAN-GCC Summit marks historical milestone: PM
Riyad (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted the significance
of the first-ever Summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held in Saudi Arabia’s
capital city of Riyadh on October 20, saying that it marked a historical
milestone.
In his
speech, PM Chinh stressed that ASEAN and GCC need to join hands in promoting
resilience, harnessing resources for growth, and taking substantive actions
with the highest political determination and vigorous efforts. By doing so, the
two regions could create tangible breakthroughs and become a highlight for
regional and global collaboration.
ASEAN
and the GCC should continue to create more favourable conditions to ensure that
economic, trade, and investment ties will remain the key pillar and driver
connecting the two regions, and complementing each other in the bid for mutual
development, he said, adding that this will lay the foundation for investment
funds and businesses from GCC countries to expand their business and investment
in ASEAN, and allow ASEAN goods and services to enjoy greater presence in the
Gulf.
Besides,
both sides should give priority to together building a green, digital,
circular, and sharing economy, pursuing sustainable agriculture, and expediting
energy transition, he said.
Focus
should be given to economic, trade, and investment ties, tourism, culture,
education, and people-to-people exchange, the PM said.
It is also necessary to quickly institutionalise ASEAN - GCC cooperation via
regular, substantive, and effective mechanisms in specific areas. Given their
advantages as successful regional organisations, ASEAN and the GCC should
support each other in upholding both sides’ central role and making meaningful
contributions to peace, stability, and development in both regions and the
world as a whole, according to the government leader.
He
stressed that Vietnam strongly opposes all acts of violence and calls upon
parties concerned to immediately put an end to violence against civilians,
humanitarian establishments, and critical infrastructures.
Only
negotiation, dialogue, peaceful settlement of disputes, and a two-state
solution on the basis of international law and the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC)’s relevant resolutions can pave the way for lasting peace in the
Middle East and among all parties concerned, he believed.
At the
summit, leaders of ASEAN and GCC agreed to maintain the regular exchange of
views and meetings, including the plan to hold the ASEAN-GCC Summit biennially.
They
underlined the need to focus on economic, trade, and investment cooperation,
ensuring sustainable supply chains, connectivity, maritime cooperation, energy
and food security, Halal industry, sci-tech and innovation, tourism, labour,
energy transition, and climate change adaptation.
Amid
complicated developments in the region and the world, both sides pledged to
enhance multilateral cooperation, promote dialogue and cooperation, build
trust, uphold the rule of law, respect independence, sovereignty, and
territorial integrity, not interfere in each other's affairs, join hands to
address global and regional challenges, and effectively contribute to
peace, security, stability, and sustainable development.
Countries
underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety,
freedom of navigation and overflight in the region while settling disputes
through peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
They
expressed concern over recent developments in the Gaza Strip, strongly
condemned acts of violence against civilians, called on parties to
immediately hold a ceasefire, put an end to acts of violence, respect the international humanitarian law, resume negotiations, settle disagreements via peaceful measures in line with international law and relevant resolutions of the United Nations in a bid to achieve a equitable, satisfactory and long-lasting solution to the Middle East peace process and ensure the lives, security and safety of people.
The summit adopted a Joint Statement that reflected the outcomes of exchanging views among
leaders and outlined orientations for the development of ASEAN-GCC relations in the
future, for the sake of peace, cooperation and mutual development./.