Kuala lumpur: Priority economic deliverables under Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, as well as forward-looking strategies to navigate shifts in the geopolitical and global trade environment, are among issues to be deliberated by senior economic officials today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Preparatory Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting (Prep-SEOM), chaired by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry’s (MITI) deputy secretary-general (Trade) Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, will also review the culmination of ASEAN’s work under the Economic Pillar for 2025. Mastura emphasized the significance of the meeting in setting the agenda for the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM), which represents a crucial milestone for ASEAN’s economic objectives. She expressed her commitment to facilitating effective discussions that will ensure the meeting’s timely conclusion.

Also present at the meeting were ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) deputy secretary-general, Satvinder Singh, and Timor-Leste’s representative to ASEAN, Augusto Jr Trindade. Mastura highlighted that the upcoming 57th AEM, scheduled for tomorrow, will involve a focused three-hour session where economic ministers will address the AEM agenda. The ministers are also expected to participate in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Council, the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) Council, and ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) meetings, necessitating concise and focused deliberations.

The meetings, chaired by MITI Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, will take place on the sidelines of the 57th AEM and related meetings, running from today to Friday. ASEAN consists of 10 member states, which include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.