Jakarta (VNA) – Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on July 29 called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to focus the bloc’s energies inward, towards building a more integrated and resilient ASEAN economy.
In his policy address in ASEAN at ASEAN Secreteriat in Jakarta on July 29, Anwar said that the region is home to a vast and vibrant market of 660 million people. The potential is undeniable, but to realise it fully, ASEAN must narrow the existing development gaps and forge stronger, more equitable economic linkages across member states.
He said at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN will once again demonstrate its collective commitment towards improving the unimpeded flow of goods within the region. Through renewed efforts to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, the group is taking meaningful steps towards creating a more seamless and dynamic ASEAN economic community that works for all, not just for some.
The Malaysian leader said that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is central to this vision. As the world’s largest trade agreement, it reinforces ASEAN’s role as the linchpin of regional economic architecture.
He said the success of the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit is a clear signal that ASEAN is ready to build new bridges and unlock new partnerships. It also reaffirms our shared determination to shape a future based on mutual respect, shared growth, and strategic cooperation.
In addition, PM Anwar emphasised that digital economy will be a key driver of ASEAN’s next phase of growth. That is why ASEAN are advancing efforts to conclude the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, while modernising our existing trade agreements with strategic partners including China, India, and the Republic of Korea. These efforts reflect ASEAN’s readiness to embrace change and position ourselves at the forefront of digital transformation.
According to Anwar, ASEAN must be an agent of change – one that has the capacity to shape the global rules and norms to remain open, inclusive, and firmly rooted in the principle of justice. ASEAN’s commitment to regionalism and multilateralism remains the anchor of the region’s collective stability and progress./.
