Kuala lumpur: The ASEAN Joint Foreign and Economic Ministers’ Meeting convenes today, setting the stage for aligning strategic priorities between both tracks ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, which will commence on Sunday.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the joint meeting aims to forge consensus on key deliverables and enhance coordination across ASEAN’s community pillars. This gathering underscores the regional bloc’s dedication to unity and coherence in the face of complex global challenges.
Held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the meetings bring together ministers and senior officials from all ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, the ASEAN Secretariat, and experts from the ASEAN Geoeconomic Task Force (AGTF). Malaysia, currently serving as ASEAN Chair, emphasizes that closer synergy between the foreign and economic pillars will boost the bloc’s ability to tackle cross-cutting issues ranging from trade facilitation and investment promotion to regional security and people-to-people connectivity.
The day’s agenda also includes the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 30th ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting, and the 37th ASEAN Coordination Council (ACC) Meeting. Additionally, Timor-Leste will take a historic step towards full ASEAN membership with the Ceremony of Depositing of Instrument of Accession to the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ).
Finland will also formalize its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in a separate signing ceremony, reiterating its commitment to ASEAN’s core principles of peace, neutrality, and dialogue-based engagement.
On the sidelines, the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2025 is being held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), serving as a forum for regional and global business leaders to discuss technology, growth strategies, and regional integration.
The upcoming 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, scheduled for October 26 to 28, will operate under Malaysia’s ASEAN 2025 Chairmanship theme of ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’. This event promises to be one of the largest in ASEAN’s history, providing a vital platform for fostering deeper collaboration while addressing regional and global challenges in a cohesive, inclusive manner.
This marks the fifth occasion Malaysia has assumed the ASEAN Chair since the bloc’s inception in 1967, with previous chairmanships in 2015, 2005, 1997, and 1977.