Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia and Poland have announced their commitment to strengthening the cooperation between ASEAN and the European Union (EU), utilizing their respective leadership roles to establish a more strategic and long-term interregional partnership.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim highlighted the significance of the current alignment, with Malaysia chairing ASEAN this year and Poland set to assume the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2025. This alignment presents a unique diplomatic opportunity to enhance ASEAN-EU relations, especially in trade. “This visit by President Andrzej Duda is very special because he currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, while Malaysia is the Chair of ASEAN. Our discussions touched on both bilateral matters and broader ASEAN-EU issues,” Anwar stated during a joint press conference with the Polish leader.
He further noted that talks on the ASEAN-EU free trade agreement (FTA) have gained new momentum after years of slow progress. “The negotiations had been protracted, perhaps due to differing priorities in the past. But over the last year and especially in recent months, we have seen an accelerated process. I am pleased that under the EU presidency, we are witnessing this fast-tracked approach,” he added, emphasizing the EU’s strategic and economic importance to Malaysia and the ASEAN region.
Meanwhile, President Andrzej Duda mentioned that one of the key areas of discussion was strengthening cooperation between Malaysia and Central European countries involved in the Three Seas Initiative, which comprises EU member states from Central Europe. “Poland held the presidency of both the EU Council and the Three Seas Initiative in the past half-year. I discussed with the Prime Minister how ASEAN views cooperation with the Three Seas countries, and I have extended an invitation to him to participate in future summits under this initiative,” Duda remarked.
He explained that the Three Seas Initiative, consisting solely of EU member states, offers a potential platform for increased economic dialogue and connectivity with ASEAN. Duda also mentioned that their discussions covered global security issues, including the Middle East conflict, Russian aggression against Ukraine, and concerns over North Korean involvement in the war. “Poland has long supported the two-state solution in the Middle East, a position shared by most of the EU and the United Nations. We also spoke about Poland’s role as Ukraine’s neighbour, including our acceptance of millions of refugees,” he said, noting his interest in ASEAN’s perspective on these global developments.
During his official visit to Malaysia, President Duda was formally welcomed at the Perdana Putra Complex. His visit aligns with Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and Poland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union in early 2025.
In 2024, Poland ranked as Malaysia’s eighth-largest trading partner among EU member states, with total bilateral trade increasing by 19.5 per cent to US$1.33 billion (RM5.66 billion) compared to 2023. Malaysia’s major exports to Poland include electrical and electronics products, rubber products, and machinery, while key imports from Poland consist of machinery, equipment and parts, electrical and electronic products, and transport equipment.