MALAYSIAN FM LEADS DELEGATION TO 2ND ASEAN-GCC MINISTERIAL MEETING

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- Foreign Minister Anifah Aman is
leading the Malaysian delegation to the 2nd Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
ministerial meeting in Singapore starting Monday.

The two-day meeting is expected to adopt a joint action plan for cooperation
between the two sides for the next two years, said a Wisma Putra (Ministry of
Foreign Affairs) statement Monday.

"Both sides will review the Asean-GCC Cooperation and exchange views on
future directions of Asean-GCC relations during the ministerial meeting," it
said.

They would also exchange views on the situations in the Middle East
including Iraq and Iran's nuclear programme, terrorism and the global financial
and economic crisis.

The first Asean-GCC Ministerial Meeting was held in Manama, Bahrain, on June
29 and 30 last year.

Anifah is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his Asean and GCC
counterparts, Wisma Putra said.

Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Mukhriz Mahathir will
meet the GCC secretary-general Abdul Rahman ibn Hamad al-Attiyah to discuss the
possibility of establishing free trade agreemment (FTA) between Malaysia dan
GCC.

GCC is a regional bloc comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates.

Asean member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

-- BERNAMA



Delete & Prev | Delete & Next