Jakarta, August 1 (AseanAll)  — Indonesian Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pahala Nugraha Mansury, hosted a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed A.A. Albudaiwi,  in Jakarta on July 31,2024.

During the discussion, the Vice Minister emphasized the importance of future cooperation between Indonesia and the GCC, particularly in the energy sector.  

"This cooperation should focus, among others, on energy transition, including enhancing the efficiency of the oil and gas supply chain and investing in renewable energy," the Vice Minister stated to the GCC Secretary-General.

The Vice Minister also encouraged closer interaction and cooperation between the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA), Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, and sovereign wealth funds of the GCC member states to boost mutual investments. Both parties also agreed to organize an economic investment forum that would not only involve chamber of commerce, but also Indonesia's and GCC member states' sovereign wealth fund.

In light of the current geopolitical climate, the Vice Minister underscored the necessity of deepening political and security cooperation. He suggested organizing a Political and Security Dialogue between the two entities in the coming year.

Addressing the issue of Palestine, the Vice Minister urged the GCC to continue efforts to stop violence by Israel against Palestinians and achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Furthermore, he also stressed the importance to ensure unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, resume credible peace processes towards a two-state solution based on international provisions, and support Palestine's acceptance as a full member of the United Nations.

Additionally, the Vice Minister announced Indonesia's plans for the 70th Anniversary of the Asian-African Conference, known as the Platinum Jubilee, next year. He extended an invitation to GCC member state leaders and the GCC Secretary-General to participate in the celebrations.

In the context of ASEAN-GCC cooperation, the Vice Minister and the Secretary General of the GCC welcomed the plan to hold the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit which will be held during Malaysia's chairship in ASEAN next year.

The Gulf region is a vital partner for Indonesia, serving as a key global economic hub. In 2023, Indonesia's trade with the GCC reached USD 15.7 billion, with a positive growth trend of 13.27% over the past five years (2019-2023).

The partnership framework between Indonesia and the GCC includes the 2015 Declaration of Intent, the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding on Consultation Mechanisms, and the Joint Action Plan for Strategic Dialogue (JAP) 2020-2024 that will be renewed for the period of 2025-2029. JAP outlines six key areas of cooperation: Political and Security Dialogue; Economy, Trade, and Investment; Agriculture and Food Security; Tourism; Culture; Education, Training, and Development; and Health.