GCC Chief At Meeting With ASEAN: Effective Support Needed For Palestine

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (KUNA) -- Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Al-Budaiwi called on the world to support effectively the Palestinian cause via resolving it in a just manner through the creation of an independent state for Palestinians.
Addressing the ministerial GCC-ASEAN meeting in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, ahead of the GCC-ASEAN summit, Al-Budaiwi indicated that the future Palestinian state should be established within the June 1967 borders and east Jerusalem as the capital of this legitimate country.
Meanwhile, the top GCC official touched upon the alarming situations witnessed in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, saying that navigation in the marine passages should be protected within the boundaries of international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, a policy, which would safeguard commerce and oil facilities.
He indicated that the upcoming GCC-ASEAN summit was a historic gathering to achieve the dreams and aspiration of people in both regions and help push for more future cooperation, stability and peace in the world.
The first GCC-ASEAN Summit in Riyadh back in 2023 was a cornerstone set by both sides to ensure future cooperation and develop vital strategies, he asserted, adding that joint teams were established launching a variety of events including the economic investment forum in May 2024 in Riyadh, a platform for bringing views together and establishing strategic economic partnerships.
The GCC official revealed that commercial exchange between the two sides reached USD 122 billion in 2023.
He affirmed that the GCC would provide all it could to make the upcoming GCC-ASEAN summit a success, saying that the grand event would result in exploring and promoting more venues of cooperation and collaboration.
The ministerial meeting was attended by Foreign Ministers of both sides including Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yayha. ASEAN Secretary General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn was also present.
The first GCC-ASEAN summit in 2023 had agreed on the 2024-2028 framework for cooperation. The second GCC-ASEAN meeting is accompanied by the first GCC-ASEAN-China summit aimed at boosting economic cooperation, diplomatic coordination, and handling regional and international challenges. (end)
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