TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Saudi Arabia inks cooperation treaty with ASEAN
Saudi Arabia becomes the 51st country to sign ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.
Change Size
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi (right) receives a signed document from Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al Saud during the signing ceremony of the Instrument of Accession, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), held as part of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' (AMM) Meeting in Jakarta on July 12, 2023. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
S
audi Arabia signed on Wednesday the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) with ASEAN, bringing the bloc into closer relationship with the Middle Eastern nation.
The TAC is an accord signed by ASEAN member state in 1976 comprising a code of conduct in interstate relations in Southeast Asia, embodying principles of peaceful and friendly cooperation. The treaty had been amended several times, the latest in 2010, to allow countries from outside the region to become signatories.
The Wednesday signing ceremony took place on the sideline of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and her Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud attended the ceremony.
Read also: ASEAN can have greater agency in managing great power rivalries
ASEAN highly appreciated Saudi Arabia’s commitment in signing the TAC, Retno said, which reflects Saudi’s strong commitment by ASEAN values and principles. Among the principles are commitment to cooperate, consistently uphold international law and contribute to Southeast Asia’s peace and stability; values deemed “critical” amid current geopolitical dynamics, said Retno.
“We welcome Saudi Arabia to the ASEAN family,“ the Indonesian minister said. She added that ASEAN and Saudi Arabia must serve as positive forces for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
The block looked forward to the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Saudi Arabia in October, Retno went on to say.
