Kuala lumpur: The inaugural ASEAN Geoeconomics Report, proposed by Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong, is set for publication in November this year. During the ASEAN Joint Foreign and Economic Ministers’ (AMM-AEM) Meeting last Saturday, he also suggested that the report would be published annually.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Liew emphasized that the report is not intended to serve as a policy decision but rather as a platform for new ideas to be publicly discussed and debated. He proposed that the institutionalisation of AMM-AEM should include regular joint meetings between senior officials from the economic and security sectors.

Liew further highlighted the need for a high-level task force for geoeconomics, incorporating officials from both security and economic sectors, alongside eminent persons from non-governmental backgrounds. This task force would form a Track 1.5 platform to deliberate on ideas addressing security and economic concerns.

The Deputy Minister shared that when the ASEAN Geoeconomic Task Force (AGTF) was established six months ago, he presented his vision to a panel of experts, including former Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Pangestu, Bank Negara Malaysia Assistant Governor Fraziali Ismail, and former MITI Secretary-General Tan Sri Rebecca Sta Maria as lead expert. The aim is to produce a credible expert report akin to the Delors Report of the European Union.