Prep-SOM Meetings Stress Need For Solid Outcome Documents, Show Constructive Spirit

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN Senior Officials’ Preparatory Meeting (Prep-SOM), the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) SOM Preparatory Meeting and the ASEAN-GCC-China Preparatory Meeting today witnessed a strong collective commitment to produce concrete and meaningful outcome documents.

Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin said the central focus of the discussions was the need to formulate an outcome document that reflects the achievements and future directions of strategic cooperation between ASEAN, GCC and China.

“We need to pay attention to finer details of issues to be included in the outcome document.

“This will require negotiations, but all parties from ASEAN, GCC and China have shown constructive spirit to secure a successful outcome from upcoming summits,” he told reporters after chairing the ASEAN-GCC-China SOM Preparatory Meeting at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here.

He said this augurs well for both platforms – ASEAN-GCC and ASEAN-GCC-China – to achieve balanced and beneficial outcomes that not only serve all parties but also strengthen regional stability and prosperity.

“The three meetings focused on two main aspects, namely the order of proceedings for both summits and in-depth discussions on the outcome documents.

“The ASEAN-GCC Summit is expected to produce two outcome documents, namely the Joint Statement and Joint Declaration, while the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit will yield one key document, which is the Joint Statement of the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.

“At the senior officials’ level, efforts are underway to finalise negotiations on all three outcome documents,” said Amran.

The Prep-SOM is a key coordination meeting held prior to the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and ministerial or summit-level discussions. It plays a crucial role in detailing matters before formal negotiations or announcements take place.

Malaysia continues to play an active role in driving strategic cooperation between ASEAN and its external dialogue partners, including the GCC and China, in line with its foreign policy, which emphasises progressive and inclusive multilateral engagement.

In conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit, two high-level meetings are also scheduled, namely the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit,  reflecting ASEAN’s growing partnerships with other key regions.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia last December, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit is set to form an influential trilateral alliance and unlock immense potential for cross-sectoral multilateral cooperation.

He said the three blocs possess unique strengths that can be leveraged through effective collaboration.

The GCC is comprised of six member states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman.

-- BERNAMA