MANILA: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Manila Hisham bin Sultan Al-Qahtani has said that the strengthening of relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will benefit Saudi-Philippine ties.
GCC members consist of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and the UAE. Their engagements with the political and economic union of ten countries in Southeast Asia, which included the Philippines, have been on the rise in recent years.
Next week, top leaders of the two groups are scheduled to meet in the Saudi capital Riyadh for their first joint summit.
GCC, ASEAN meetings
Al-Qahtani said that the upcoming meeting of the GCC and ASEAN nations scheduled for 20 October 2023, in Riyadh, is expected to emphasize the significance of enhancing political and strategic ties, Arab News reported.
He said that the gathering aims to encourage trade and economic cooperation and promote joint investments. Such collaborations are poised to strengthen economic, political, and strategic relations, fostering mutual growth and development for both Saudi Arabia and the Philippines.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is likely to lead the Philippine delegation to the meeting and will be accompanied by important members of his Cabinet.
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Al-Qahtani said that several deals are set to be inked on the sidelines of the meetings and are poised to contribute considerably to enhancing the existing bilateral cooperation between the two friendly countries.
He added that Saudi-Philippine relations have been seeing continuous development across various fields and remain a model of successful political, economic, and cultural cooperation between countries, promoting the exchange of knowledge and expertise, thereby enhancing regional and international peace and stability.
The envoy said that in the trade sector the position of the Philippines was growing as Saudi export destination at an annual rate of 12.9%.
