Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, who chairs the GCC this year, said total trade reached US$130.7 billion (RM550.2 billion) in 2023, making the GCC Asean’s seventh-largest trading partner.
“The volume of opportunities between both sides is enormous, and current progress confirms we are on the right track,” he said in his opening remarks at the 2nd Asean-GCC Summit here today.
The GCC chair also voiced optimism about ongoing FTA negotiations with Asean, which he said would “create further opportunities for investment and support regional supply chains”.
Beyond trade, Sheikh Sabah said the GCC was ready to share its expertise in clean and renewable energy, including the production of green hydrogen, low-carbon technologies and energy efficiency initiatives, in line with the Paris Agreement.
He also proposed stronger collaboration in the digital economy, including on AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and e-commerce, to help both regions build future-ready infrastructure.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his opening remarks as Asean chair, hailed the summit as “exceptional”, calling it a rare moment of trust and friendship between two dynamic regions.
“This is, in our experience in this region, quite extraordinary – to be able to bring in not only Asean leaders but also the most dynamic GCC countries to this region … to work together, build on trust, cooperation, and true friendship,” he said.
Sheikh Sabah also touched on shared values and political solidarity, particularly over the crisis in Gaza, urging greater international pressure to halt Israeli aggression.
“We express our deep appreciation to Asean countries for their principled and united position on the Palestinian issue, and we stress the need to intensify efforts to end the war in Gaza and support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” he said.
Anwar echoed the sentiment, saying the situation in Gaza “has been a pain in our hearts”.
“I share the sentiments expressed by the crown prince. Many of us have spoken strongly on the Palestinian-Gaza issue … and we are with you in hoping for a final settlement,” he said in response.