ID :
20034
Wed, 09/17/2008 - 20:11
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/20034
The shortlink copeid
ASEAN-GCC TO ELEVATE RELATIONS TO REGULAR MEETINGS
JAKARTA, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- ASEAN and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, commonly known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have agreed to institutionalise their cooperation and elevate their relationship to a ministerial level.
ASEAN and GCC have had informal periodical consultations since the 1990s on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Impressive growths in their bilateral trade, growing opportunities for investment and urgent issues of mutual interest have led both sides to formalise their cooperation.
In July this year, ASEAN Foreign Ministers resolved at their 41st Meeting to seek their GCC counterparts' concurrence for a regularised mechanism in the form of an annual Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
The GCC reciprocated the ASEAN Ministers' initiative when they met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to an ASEAN Secretariat statement issued here Wednesday.
ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan said, "The increasing volume of trade between the two regions has been impressive, from US$18.3 billion in 2002 to US$57.1 billion in 2006. Total trade in the span of five years reached US$160.1 billion, representing a 213% growth."
He said with the rise of oil prices and the growing concern over food shortages worldwide, ASEAN and GCC agreed that there was a large space for cooperation and closer coordination of issues facing the two regions.
"That was why the Foreign Ministers of both sides have agreed to enhance their consultations on many issues of common concern," he pointed out, following his visit to the GCC Secretariat in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss details of the formal modality of cooperation with Abdulrahman Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the Secretary-General of GCC.
At the consultations which took place with the ASEAN Riyadh Committee in attendance, Abdulrahman was quoted as saying, "We see a lot of potential in our ASEAN-GCC enhanced cooperation.
"While the GCC exports energy resources to the ASEAN countries and through Southeast Asia to the giant economies of East Asia, namely China, Japan and South Korea, we import food and other manufacturing products from the ASEAN countries. The issue of food security is therefore of critical importance to the GCC Member States."
The GCC Secretary-General also revealed that recently, the GCC Economic Ministers decided to set-up a fund to invest in agriculture production worldwide.
"This is definitely something that ASEAN Member States with large agricultural production should be interested in," Surin said.
The two sides agreed to hold the first meeting of the Foreign Ministers between ASEAN and GCC in the first quarter of 2009.
ASEAN and GCC have had informal periodical consultations since the 1990s on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Impressive growths in their bilateral trade, growing opportunities for investment and urgent issues of mutual interest have led both sides to formalise their cooperation.
In July this year, ASEAN Foreign Ministers resolved at their 41st Meeting to seek their GCC counterparts' concurrence for a regularised mechanism in the form of an annual Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
The GCC reciprocated the ASEAN Ministers' initiative when they met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to an ASEAN Secretariat statement issued here Wednesday.
ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan said, "The increasing volume of trade between the two regions has been impressive, from US$18.3 billion in 2002 to US$57.1 billion in 2006. Total trade in the span of five years reached US$160.1 billion, representing a 213% growth."
He said with the rise of oil prices and the growing concern over food shortages worldwide, ASEAN and GCC agreed that there was a large space for cooperation and closer coordination of issues facing the two regions.
"That was why the Foreign Ministers of both sides have agreed to enhance their consultations on many issues of common concern," he pointed out, following his visit to the GCC Secretariat in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss details of the formal modality of cooperation with Abdulrahman Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the Secretary-General of GCC.
At the consultations which took place with the ASEAN Riyadh Committee in attendance, Abdulrahman was quoted as saying, "We see a lot of potential in our ASEAN-GCC enhanced cooperation.
"While the GCC exports energy resources to the ASEAN countries and through Southeast Asia to the giant economies of East Asia, namely China, Japan and South Korea, we import food and other manufacturing products from the ASEAN countries. The issue of food security is therefore of critical importance to the GCC Member States."
The GCC Secretary-General also revealed that recently, the GCC Economic Ministers decided to set-up a fund to invest in agriculture production worldwide.
"This is definitely something that ASEAN Member States with large agricultural production should be interested in," Surin said.
The two sides agreed to hold the first meeting of the Foreign Ministers between ASEAN and GCC in the first quarter of 2009.
