RIYADH, Jan 22 (KUNA) -- Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassim Al-Budaiwi affirmed on Wednesday that the GCC and ASEAN countries share distinguished bilateral relations on various levels.
This came in a statement during his participation in a roundtable entitled "ASEAN's Journey Towards Unity: Lessons in Diplomacy and Regional Cooperation," at the invitation of the ASEAN organization that was held in Davos, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025.
Al-Budaiwi described the relationship between the two organizations as successful, having developed over time. He pointed out to the recent summit in 2023, where Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the GCC and the leaders of ASEAN expressed a sincere desire to enhance relations, as evident in the final statement.
He attributed the continuity and enhancement of this relationship to several factors, including shared interests at the time of both organizations' founding, opportunities to boost economy and trade, and the distinguished bilateral relations among member states.
The GCC Chief also praised ASEAN as a model for regional cooperation, economic growth, and diplomatic stability, commending its diplomatic approach and multilateral cooperation in promoting unity amid regional and global diversity. (end) kns.bb