President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday underscored the need for increased trade and collaboration between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to help realize their shared vision for sustainable development.

Stressing the strategic importance of ASEAN-GCC relations, the President also urged fellow leaders of the 10-member ASEAN and six-member GCC to address global issues such as global peace, freedom of navigation and international law, climate change, and migrant workers.

“While there is strong potential, it is also clear that our current trade patterns remain limited in scope, concentrated in a narrow band of sectors,” Marcos said during the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit held in Kuala Lumpur.

“To unlock the full promise of our partnership, we must go beyond traditional trade and leverage our complementary strengths,” the President added.

Marcos noted that ASEAN, with its rapidly expanding digital economy and dynamic, tech-savvy youth, presents a strong complement to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which holds global leadership in energy, investment capital, and logistics infrastructure. ASEAN offers significant potential for mutually beneficial partnerships.

“Together, we can co-create resilient supply chains, sustainable energy solutions, and innovation-driven ecosystems,” the President said.

The Philippine leader also pointed to the potential in expanding collaboration in halal trade and standards harmonization, as well as in e-commerce and digital trade.

Calling the South China Sea and the Arabian Sea as lifelines to regional and international commerce, Marcos noted that “it is necessary to preserve the freedom of navigation, to guarantee unimpeded commerce, and to protect the marine environment through compliance with established international law, specifically UNCLOS,” or the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The President also underscored the importance of continuing to provide upskilling opportunities and ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of the 2.7 million citizens from ASEAN who live and work in GCC countries, of whom more than 2 million are overseas Filipino workers.

Marcos also commended the GCC and member-states for peacemaking efforts for global stability, reiterating the Philippines is gravely concerned over Israel’s ongoing military operations across the Gaza Strip, which resulted in a humanitarian crisis. Presidential News Desk