27 November 2013 – Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Evan P. Garcia who headed the Philippine delegation to the 3rd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministerial Meeting called for the ASEAN-GCC dialogue process to discuss labor cooperation and human resources development.
The Ministers agreed that at the ASEAN-GCC workshop to be hosted by Singapore next year, labor cooperation and human resources development will be in the agenda.
All ASEAN and GCC states expressed their condolences and sympathies to the Philippine Government and the Filipino people for the devastating loss of lives and property caused by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
The Ministers emphasized further collaborations in the areas of economy and trade, including agriculture to address food security, culture, tourism, media, education and people-to-people activities. The Ministers also condemned all acts of violence, terrorism and piracy that threaten maritime security, safety of navigation and international trade.
The Ministers also welcomed the decision to choose Manama as the first Asian capital of tourism for the year 2014. Bahrain will be the GCC’s country coordinator for ASEAN-GCC relations for the next three years, in coordination with the GCC Presidency.
ASEAN established ties with GCC in 1990 to promote closer collaboration with the Gulf countries. The Gulf Cooperation Council is made up of the States of Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. END