On October 20, a high-level meeting between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) took place in the Saudi capital Riyadh. This is the first time senior leaders of ASEAN and GCC member states have met since the two sides established relations in 1990. VNA would like to introduce the full text of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s speech at the conference.

On the morning of October 20, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and spoke at the ASEAN Summit – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).     Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Dear Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia!
Dear Co-Chairmen!
Dear Leaders of ASEAN and GCC!

I am very pleased to meet the Leaders of the countries in the beautiful capital Riyadh, the heart of the “land of two mosques”. Thank you for Saudi Arabia’s respectful and warm welcome to us.

Today’s first Summit between ASEAN and GCC is a historic milestone. In that spirit, I support the Conference through a Joint Declaration, bringing relations between ASEAN and the GCC to a new level, for peace, cooperation and mutual development.

Appreciate the role of GCC for ASEAN. Southeast Asia and the Gulf region have been bound together for centuries on the basis of good friendship and great potential for cooperation. The faster the world changes, the more ASEAN and the GCC must dynamically adapt, join hands to arouse the will to be self-reliant and self-reliant, free up development resources, and deploy practical, effective actions with determination. highest political attention, take drastic actions so that the cooperation process between the two regions will truly make a strong breakthrough in the coming time, becoming a bright spot of regional and global cooperation.

I would like to propose the following three directions:

First, ASEAN and GCC together create more favorable conditions for economy, trade and investment to become the main pillars, the driving force connecting the two regions, complementing each other for mutual development and win-win.

We need to deploy more open policies, open the market more strongly, remove barriers, and build more complete and sustainable supply chains to create conditions for investment funds and businesses. GCC countries further expand business investment in ASEAN and goods and services from ASEAN countries appear more and more in the Gulf.

In that process, ASEAN and Vietnam wish to promote cooperation with the GCC for the goal of greener and more sustainable development. Accordingly, the two sides need to prioritize cooperation in developing the green economy, digital economy, circular economy, sharing economy, sustainable agricultural development, energy transition… In short, We promote three connections: one is connecting people, culture, and labor; Second is connecting trade, investment and tourism; Third is infrastructure connection, through strategic infrastructure investment.

Second, it is necessary to quickly institutionalize ASEAN – GCC cooperation with regular, substantive, and effective cooperation mechanisms in each specific field.

Third, strengthen multilateral cooperation to jointly preserve a peaceful and stable environment for development.

With the strength of being very successful regional organizations, ASEAN and the GCC need to support each other to promote their central role and make practical contributions to peace, stability and development of the two regions and the world.

We strongly oppose any use of force and call on relevant parties to immediately end acts of violence against civilians, humanitarian facilities and essential infrastructure. We believe that only through negotiation and negotiation can resolve disagreements through peaceful means to achieve a two-state solution on the basis of international law and relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. The new United Nations is the only way to bring lasting, sustainable peace to the Middle East and all countries.

Thank you very much!

Source: TTXVN/BAOTINTUC