SUBANG, Dec 21 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ties, highlighting the importance of cohesive engagement between member states and ensuring Asean remains relevant in addressing global challenges.

He underscored Malaysia’s role as it prepares to assume the Asean chairmanship in 2025, emphasising the need for collective efforts to strengthen Asean’s centrality and its partnerships with other regions, including the Middle East.

"We must mature some of the decisions to ensure peace and stability in the region while maintaining positive engagement with global players like the GCC.

"Asean must remain cohesive and united. The engagement with GCC has been fruitful, and we will continue to build on these strong foundations,” Anwar told a news conference here Saturday.

Also present at the press conference was the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communications, Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa.

On Dec 13, Bernama reported that the GCC-China Summit, set to take place in Malaysia in 2025 during its Asean chairmanship, is expected to form an influential trilateral alliance and unlock immense potential for multilateral cooperation across sectors.

Touching on Asean’s internal challenges, Anwar reiterated the bloc’s commitment to the Five-Point Consensus (5PCs) framework, particularly in resolving the crisis in Myanmar.

"In the last sessions we held, we allowed the neighbours and friendlier parties to continue engaging with the general framework of the five-point consensus,” he said. — Bernama