The GCC has played a vital role in the AMEM, the Minister of the GCC tells Arab News
- Arab News
- Jun 18, 2025
- 4 min read
The Minister of GCC talks about his role in AMEM and how his frameworks will make a difference in ASEAN and the GCC.
SINGAPORE: In the recent ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) committee, ministers convened to discuss the topic of strengthening cross-border energy infrastructure and regulating the mineral supply chain in ASEAN. In particular, the Minister of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has contributed significantly in terms of proposing unique and comprehensive frameworks to resolve the issues in question.
The Minister of GCC played a crucial role in building and pushing for several collaborative frameworks that were successfully passed. These include the ASEAN Collaboration of Energy (ACE), the ASEAN Power Integration and Regulatory Authority (APIRA), and the Cooperation, Legal Accountability and EAR framework (CLEAR), which were received positively by committee delegates and contributed greatly to the council’s discussions. These frameworks provided the council with viable and effective solutions to various problems.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, the Minister of GCC shared insights into their role in AMEM, emphasising the involvement Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have in supporting key frameworks adopted by the committee.
“The GCC has proposed frameworks that are in the common interest of both observer states and ASEAN Member States,” said the Minister.
“For example, to resolve the Mekong River conflicts, the GCC has proposed the CLEAR framework to encourage the fair collaboration and accountability of all ASEAN Member States.”
One of the frameworks, CLEAR, was designed to address issues of cross-border, environmental, and governance challenges in the Mekong River. The Mekong River, a transboundary waterway which flows through five ASEAN Member States (AMS), has long been a flashpoint for contention between countries surrounding it.
The Minister highlighted important benefits the framework offers to AMS and observer states, including increased multilateral cooperation and increased investor trust when asked about CLEAR’s potential to resolve these issues. He emphasized how such collaboration is essential to stabilise the tensions and promote long-term regional development.
“CLEAR will not only be beneficial for upstream and downstream AMS but by extension, good for the observer states like the GCC. By eliminating corruption, there will be more investor confidence from the GCC towards AMS, thus increasing investor interest and benefitting both observer states and AMS.”
The minister described how investor trust towards ASEAN would encourage more investment from the Gulf region, creating mutually beneficial economic growth and sustainable development for both parties.
The Minister’s emphasis on economic cooperation and transparency was further reflected in AMEM’s discussions on ACE, a framework aiming to standardise wheeling charges, the fees levied for transmitting electricity across borders.
As the creator of ACE, the Minister outlined how this framework would increase transparency and standardisation in regional energy trade.
“ACE’s end goal is to standardise wheeling charges for energy trade in ASEAN and enforce the transparency of such charges through biannual ASEAN summit meetings and joint funding from observer states.” The Minister explained during his speech in the committee sessions.
Throughout committee sessions, the Minister engaged in high-level dialogues with fellow ministers, where the Minister’s advocacy for enhanced cross-border cooperation, increased transparency, and mutual benefit was reflected.
When interviewed on the GCC’s outlook towards the progression of AMEM, the Minister expressed much optimism about the council’s direction and highlighted the AMEM’s growing potential for multilateral cooperation.
“There is significant potential for further collaboration with other observer states and AMS, such as the United States, Vietnam, and Indonesia,” the Minister said. “Through further collaboration and constructive debate, there will definitely be more mutual benefits towards all of the states involved in this council.”
In addition to participating in framework discussions, the Minister has also built up close relations with other countries, forming bonds with countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar, and India. The enhancement of international ties reflects the GCC’s broader vision of increasing Gulf nations’ international presence and the GCC’s long term strategy for shared economic security.
Sponsoring and creating many key frameworks within AMEM, the Minister also emphasized that Middle Eastern countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, have the “capacity and interest to contribute significantly” to ASEAN’s current frameworks. This laid the foundation for broader conversations on how current frameworks aligned with the priorities and goals of the GCC and its member states.
As energy security increases in importance within ASEAN, the involvement of the GCC in AMEM reflects the growing interregional cooperation between Gulf nations and Southeast Asia.
“The GCC believes that there is a common stance within ASEAN towards having more transparency and protecting the environment,” the Minister explained. “This aligns with the stance of the GCC and Saudi Arabia, therefore we project high participation rates from Gulf nations and Middle Eastern countries in these proposals.”
Bibliography
CNA. “First ASEAN-Gulf Bloc-China Summit ‘Ambitious’, but Competing Interests Pose Partnership Challenge,” 2021.
“Neufin | Wheeling Charges and Their 3 Major Components.” 2025. Neufin. February 16, 2025. https://neufin.co/blog/wheeling-charges-and-their-3-major-components.
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