26 May 2025

In the presence and under the patronage of Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah - representing the State of Kuwait in its capacity as President of the GCC Supreme Council - and Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim, the joint statement launching negotiations for a free trade agreement between the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and Malaysia was signed in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 26 May 2025. The statement was signed on the sidelines of the GCC-ASEAN Summit by GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi and Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz. The two sides affirmed that the joint statement marks the start of negotiating rounds covering a wide range of sectors of mutual interest. The prospective agreement is expected to address several areas of economic cooperation and strengthen the GCC and Malaysia's standing as major trade and investment partners. The GCC Secretary-General said that the signing of the joint statement and the launch of free trade negotiations with Malaysia implement the directives of the GCC leaders - may God protect and preserve them - to strengthen the Council's relations with its international partners. He described the launch of negotiations as a strategic step that would also consolidate the partnership between the two sides. He added that the longstanding historical ties and growing cooperation between Malaysia and the GCC states, driven by a shared desire to advance mutual interests, had played a significant role in creating the conditions for these ambitious negotiations.