Malaysia, as Asean chair in 2025, sets sights on advancing regional integration, boosting trade, and driving green growth.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Malaysia sees Asean as a region brimming with untapped potential, ready to emerge as a powerful driver of growth and resilience amid global uncertainties, said the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti).

Miti Deputy Secretary-General (Trade) Mastura Ahmad Mustafa highlighted that Asean is more than a vast marketplace — it is a hub of innovation, creativity and energy, with nearly 700 million people, a third of whom are youth.

“Our demographic dividend, combined with an expanding consumer class, stronger connectivity and rapid digital adoption, gives Asean a distinctive edge. If developed with sustainability and inclusivity in mind, these advantages will not only fuel our region’s growth but also enable Asean to play a pivotal role in shaping the global economy,” she said at the welcome dinner for the Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting (SEOM) 3/56 and Related Meetings today.

Under Malaysia’s chairmanship, Mastura said the focus is on deepening regional integration, enhancing supply chain resilience, promoting sustainable and responsible investment, and driving digital innovation.

“Equally important, we aim to ensure that businesses of all sizes — particularly micro, small and medium enterprises — can meaningfully contribute to and benefit from Asean’s growth story,” she added.

In a separate statement, Miti noted that key discussions at SEOM 3/56 centred on Malaysia’s Priority Economic Deliverables under its 2025 Asean chairmanship, updates on the 2025 Annual Priorities under the AEM/SEOM mandate, implementation of Asean agreements, progress on the Digital Economy Framework Agreement, and sustainability goals including carbon neutrality, the circular economy, and the Asean Power Grid.

Miti is hosting SEOM 3/56 and Related Meetings from Aug 18 to 23 in Kuala Lumpur.

The ministry also said talks with Asean Dialogue Partners focused on reviewing progress, addressing challenges in implementing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and assessing work plans as well as ongoing economic cooperation initiatives. — Bernama