KUALA LUMPUR: Discussions are ongoing on a proposal to establish an Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-China Business Council, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the proposal could be brought to the relevant ministries if the three groups held further meetings.
“If Asean-GCC-China meetings are held in the future, we will propose the matter to the relevant ministries,” he said in reply to a question from Dr Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar).
Lukanisman said the joint statement adopted at the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur in May last year provided a framework for strengthening economic cooperation among the three regions, covering trade, investment and other areas with significant growth potential, including the halal industry.
He said the Foreign Ministry had incorporated halal diplomacy into its economic engagement efforts to promote Malaysian products and services abroad.
“We have included halal diplomacy as one of the talking points for our diplomats to promote halal as part of our economic diplomacy,” he said.
Earlier, he told the Dewan Rakyat that the inaugural summit was intended as a one-off event, with Asean members yet to reach a consensus on organising a second meeting.