Airlangga Reveals The Importance Of Expanding RCEP Cooperation With GCC Countries

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs (Menko) Airlangga Hartarto. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto emphasized the importance of expanding Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) regional cooperation partners with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

This was conveyed at the World Economic Forum (WEF), especially in the Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28-29, 2024.

Untuk memperkuat RCEP yang sebelumnya telah dijalin ASEAN bersama beberapa negara mitra, Airlangga mengusulkan untuk memperluas mitra kerja sama RCEP dengan negara-negara di GCC.

ASEAN has a big trade blunder, namely RCEP, which is ASEAN + 6 countries. If added to the GCC bloc trade, then this will be the largest mega trade fault in the world," said Airlangga in his statement, Monday, April 29.

Airlangga said that this blunder trade can facilitate various potential cooperation in the trade, investment, digital economy, Islamic finance, MSMEs, and youth exchange sectors.

He underlined the next ASEAN-GCC Framework whose implementation should be clearer and more concrete.

According to him, exploring the Free Trade Agreement cooperation needs to be started with GCC countries. Meanwhile, those that already exist need to be strengthened and expanded.

In addition, Airlangga said that this collaboration would certainly be a new investment and trade opportunity that would strengthen the economy of the two regions in the agricultural, energy, tourism sector, which is an essential sector, considering that these two areas have their own uniqueness, including the potential for cooperation in the fields of energy transition, carbon storage, education, culture, and the halal product industry.

"This collaboration will also contribute to improving food and energy security, as well as giving a signal to the world that ASEAN's GCC is a new economic force in the world," he explained.