VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) discussed efforts to strengthen economic cooperation at the 1st Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council (ASEAN-GCC).

"ASEAN and the GCC are two great powers that will continue to grow," he said at the summit, which was broadcast online from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

With the gross domestic product (GDP) of both regions reaching more than US$5 trillion and their total population exceeding 700 million, ASEAN and the GCC have large resources to play a strategic and positive role amid a polarized world, he observed.

"We need to maximize economic potential through balanced and open investment and trade with the ASEAN-GCC trade framework and through industrial development, halal certification, and halal tourism development," the President said.

Furthermore, he called for the strengthening of mutually beneficial partnerships between ASEAN and GCC members to support food and energy security through cooperation in the agriculture and food sectors, alignment of agricultural commodity standards, and energy transition programs.

At the end of his speech, he raised the issue of the protection of migrant workers.

"Amid the increasingly uncertain global situation, I underline ASEAN's commitment to improving protection for migrant workers, and I ask for the support of GCC countries," he said.

He also lauded the accession of all GCC members to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) as a commitment of Gulf countries to support peace in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, representatives of ASEAN nations, and GCC countries consisting of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, attended the 1st ASEAN-GCC Summit.

Earlier on Thursday, President Widodo held a bilateral meeting with Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud in Riyadh to discuss cooperation and relations between the two countries. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesia secured an additional quota of 20 thousand for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage following a bilateral meeting between President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud.

At the meeting that took place on the sidelines of the 1st Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council (ASEAN-GCC) in Riyadh on Friday, President Widodo spoke to the PM about the long queue for Hajj in Indonesia.

The long queue is leading to some prospective pilgrims having to wait up to 47 years.

"Therefore, Indonesia needs an additional Hajj quota. Alhamdulillah (thank God), the response was very positive," he said while delivering a press statement regarding his visit to Riyadh, which was uploaded on the YouTube channel of the Presidential Secretariat.

According to the President, Indonesia was given an additional quota of at least 20 thousand for next year's Hajj, less than 12 hours after the meeting.

Earlier, Indonesia's pilgrim quota for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage was capped at 221 thousand, while the quota for Hajj officers was set at 2,200.

The Indonesian government has started to prepare for the 2024 Hajj services, including preparing qualified Hajj officers in accordance with the needs.

Director general of Hajj and Umrah implementation at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Hilman Latief, had earlier highlighted the importance of careful planning for the preparation of Hajj officers, including determining the qualifications and placement schemes to improve Hajj services. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Malaysia is proposing the creation of a free trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) its premier said on Friday at a summit of the two blocs.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said such an agreement would be the first of its kind between ASEAN and Gulf states.

"This agreement is crucial in advancing progressive, inclusive and sustainable growth especially as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and face geopolitical uncertainties," he said in a speech at the ASEAN-GCC Summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

ASEAN, a 10-member bloc of more than 600 million people, has for years been seeking to integrate its economies, worth a combined $2.3 trillion, through trade, investment and harmonised standards and customs procedures.

However, efforts to establish free trade deals have been protracted, with some members with exports-reliant economies going it alone in seeking better access to their key markets.

ASEAN is part of the Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership (RCEP) along with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has called for an immediate end to the Israel-Palestine violence to prevent further human casualties and asked for full respect of international humanitarian law during the conflict.

In a joint statement issued by ASEAN foreign ministers on Friday, the bloc expressed its concern over the recent escalation of armed conflict in the Middle East.

ASEAN member states comprise Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The bloc "strongly condemns the acts of violence which have led to the deaths and injury of civilians, including ASEAN nationals," and has called upon all parties to create safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian corridors.

"ASEAN reaffirms our support for a negotiated two-state solution that allows both Israelis and Palestinians to live side-by-side in peace and security, consistent with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions," the statement said.

"This will be the only viable path to resolving the root cause of the conflict," it added.

The bloc further urged all parties to protect and ensure the safety and security of all civilians, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

ASEAN also asked the international community to support the peace process in order to ensure long-lasting peace and stability in the region.

In the over 10 days that Israel has bombed Palestinian territories, nearly 3 thousand people, including 750 children, have been killed.

Israeli strikes have targeted buildings in the densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip following Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on Oct 7.

The humanitarian crisis has worsened following Israel's decision to cut off water, electricity, and other supplies to Gaza, leaving two million people experiencing shortages of basic necessities.

After targeting a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, Israel on Thursday attacked the Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza, where around 500 Palestinian Muslims and Christians were seeking shelter. (Antaranews)