Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh spoke at the ASEAN-GCC Summit, calling on all parties to end acts of violence targeting civilians, humanitarian facilities, and essential infrastructure.
"With the strength of being very successful regional organizations, ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (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," Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on October 20 at the first ASEAN - GCC Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
"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," the Prime Minister stressed.
Vietnamese leaders affirmed that only negotiation and dialogue, resolving disagreements through peaceful means, and achieving a two-state solution on the basis of international law and relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council are the only ways to bring sustainable and long-lasting peace to the Middle East and all countries.
The statement was made amid rising tensions in the Middle East with the Hamas-Israel war. More than 5,100 people in Israel and Gaza have been killed, including many civilians. ASEAN and GCC countries called on all parties to immediately cease fire and respect international humanitarian law.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (left) and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud attend the ASEAN-GCC Summit on October 20. Photo: ASEAN-GCC Forum
The Prime Minister also outlined other orientations for ASEAN-GCC, including further facilitating economic, trade and investment to become the main pillars and driving force connecting the two regions.
To do this, it is necessary to create conditions for investment funds and businesses of GCC countries to expand their investment and business in ASEAN and support ASEAN goods and services to appear more in the Gulf region. The parties also need to prioritize cooperation in developing the green economy, digital economy, sustainable agriculture, and energy transition.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that ASEAN and the GCC promote three connections, including people, culture, and labor; and trade, investment, tourism, and infrastructure connections through strategic infrastructure investment.
Faced with the complex difficulties in the current global and regional situation, ASEAN and GCC leaders agreed to maintain regular exchanges and focus on economic, trade, and investment cooperation, ensuring sustainable supply chains, as well as connectivity, maritime cooperation, energy security, food, Halal industry, energy transition, and climate change response.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is on a working trip to attend the ASEAN-GCC Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from October 18-20 at the invitation of Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. This is the first time leaders of ASEAN and GCC countries have met after 33 years of establishing relations.
In 2022, ASEAN-GCC cooperation progressed positively, with total trade turnover reaching 142.25 billion USD, foreign direct investment of nearly 523.5 million USD. The number of GCC tourists to the ASEAN region reached more than 375,000 people.
Saudi Arabia is Vietnam's leading economic partner in the Middle East. In 2022, the two countries' trade turnover reached 2.7 billion USD, and over 2 billion in the first 9 months of this year.
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