UAE, ASEAN advance joint action plan for stronger regional partnership

Dubai: The fourth meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Committee in Abu Dhabi (ACAD), held on July 1, has brought together senior diplomats and officials from the UAE and ASEAN member states to review ongoing cooperation and set priorities for the next phase of engagement.

The meeting has been co-chaired by Saeed Al Hajeri, Minister of State, and Kamal Vaswani, Singapore ambassador to the UAE, in Singapore’s capacity as ACAD chair for January to June 2026.

Attendees have included Mohamed Al Qamzi, UAE ambassador to ASEAN, and ASEAN ambassadors to the UAE.

The engagement has built on strengthened ties since the UAE became an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 2022 and began implementing the UAE–ASEAN Practical Cooperation Areas action plan for 2024 to 2028.

Opening the meeting, Al Hajeri has welcomed ASEAN ambassadors and thanked Singapore for its chairmanship, while also welcoming Vietnam as the new ACAD chair from July this year.

He has reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to deepening cooperation across areas of mutual interest and highlighted ACAD’s role as "a prominent platform for dialogue, coordination, and exploring opportunities for practical cooperation between the two sides."

Moreover, Al Hajeri has stressed the importance of ACAD as a platform for structured engagement and practical cooperation between both sides.

Discussions have focused on implementing the joint action plan and expanding cooperation across priority sectors, with both sides reaffirming continued coordination and the pursuit of sustainable economic growth and shared prosperity.

Additionally, the meeting has reviewed regional and international developments, emphasising de-escalation and sustained diplomatic engagement to support security and stability.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Philippine ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ver has noted that Al Hajeri described the UAE with “well-established capacity to contribute meaningfully to international economic cooperation.”

"According to the minister, the country’s long-standing reliance on structured institutions and forward-looking policies has positioned it to respond effectively to evolving regional and global economic challenges," shared Ver.

"He described the UAE’s approach to political engagement as one grounded in listening, understanding, and learning from partners with extensive experience navigating geopolitical complexities."

He has explained that the UAE’s approach is based on learning from other countries, particularly those with experience navigating complex geopolitical environments and balancing relations between East and West.

In a separate interview, Indonesian ambassador to the UAE Judha Nugraha has highlighted strong ASEAN–UAE alignment, noting both regions as strategic hubs for their respective areas.

"The strategic position of both ASEAN and the UAE provides tremendous opportunities in various sectors from trade, investment, tourism, and culture to people-to-people contact," Nugraha told Gulf News.

He has also bared that “the UAE's presence in ASEAN, such as Mubadalla and Masdar, showcases the strong economic potentials between the two nation and region.”

In addition, Nugraha has mentioned education and youth initiatives, including UAE scholarships for ASEAN students, as key drivers of stronger people-to-people ties.

"Through this various cooperation, we are confident that relations between ASEAN and the UAE will flourish even stronger and bring mutual benefit for both people in ASEAN and the UAE."

The meeting has concluded with both sides reaffirming continued coordination under the UAE–ASEAN framework.

With the 2024 to 2028 action plan underway and Vietnam taking over ACAD chairmanship, participants have expressed confidence in sustained cooperation across economic, diplomatic, and development priorities.