A Comparative Study of Regionalism in ASEAN and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council

Abstract

Regionalism emerged as a relatively new phenomenon after World War II and gradually spread to different parts of the world. This phenomenon is now at its peak and has brought the countries of different regions closer together for various purposes. Various political, economic, and security reasons can be cited as the conscious policies of countries. Two of the trends in regionalism in the world are the regionalism of Southeast Asian countries and the establishment of ASEAN and the regionalism of the Persian Gulf states and the establishment of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council. The present paper seeks to answer the question of what are the goals of the formation and development of regional convergence in the two organizations of ASEAN and the PGCC, and what are the similarities and differences between them? Using descriptive-analytical methods the article argues that the two regional organizations both were formed in response to an external threat, from the outside-in perspective. However, over time, ASEAN was able not only to maintain its original function, but also to extend its scope from a military-security organization to other areas such as economic, cultural, and social. ASEAN has been more successful in expanding its functions, and this move can be attributed to the transition from limited and realistic regionalism to new regionalism with aspects of liberalism. The PGCC has also embraced aspects of liberalism and market economics, but political-security issues remain a priority for the organization.