Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah announced on Friday that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries will be holding their joint summits biennially.
The summits will be held at the level of the countries’ leaders on a rotational basis, in order to strengthen cooperation.
Prince Faisal made his remarks during a press conference with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi following the conclusion of the inaugural GCC-ASEAN Riyadh summit on Friday.
The Saudi FM underlined the two sides' aspiration for further cooperation given the great opportunities for cooperation.
The GCC countries and ASEAN group are considered among the most important economic groups in the world thanks to their cooperation, he went on to say.
The summit will strengthen this cooperation, coordination, economic and development work, and support joint multilateral action and economic development, he added.
In response to a question about developments in Gaza and its surrounding regions, Prince Faisal stressed the consensus of the GCC and ASEAN on the importance of an immediate ceasefire and the need for the arrival of humanitarian aid.
Reaching a permanent solution to the conflict will end the cycle of violence, he said.
