Malaysia hails "successful" trilateral summit with ASEAN, GCC, China

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (KUNA) -- Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday lauded the "success" of summits in Kuala Lumpur between the leaders of Southeast Asian countries and Gulf Arab states, alongside China, praising the unity seen amid the gatherings.
In the wake of a summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in addition to a separate one involving the two regional blocs and China, Malaysia's prime minister said that the talks yielded "extensive dialogue" and a palpable sense of cooperation shown by Beijing, without elaborating further.
He praised the agenda for the talks, which included a plethora of pressing matters ranging from politics to the economy, while simultaneously citing the progress in trilateral cooperation, underlining that his country has long served as a "bridge" connecting the Middle East region and China.
On the economic front, the Malaysian prime minister expected the launch of talks between ASEAN and GCC to set in motion a free trade agreement, as part of the Southeast Asian bloc's efforts to forge a "balanced policy" when it comes to relations with the international community.
Ahead of the forthcoming ASEAN summit slated for October, he remained hopeful that all the goals outlined in the latest round of talks would ultimately come to fruition, subsequently leading to what he described as "significant progress" in terms of the region's development.
The Malaysian capital hosted summits between Southeast Asian states and their Gulf Arab counterparts, in addition to a separate gathering that included China, in which matters of mutual concern and plans to ratchet up cooperation were in focus. (Pick up previous) aab.nam