Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship Praised As 46th ASEAN Summit Ends On High Note

By V. Sankara

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Bernama) -- The 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits drew to a close today with leaders engaging in strategic deliberations to advance regional integration and pursue high-level diplomacy to address problems faced in the region, including the protracted crisis in Myanmar. 

In discussions covering a wide range of issues, ASEAN  leaders commended Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his astute leadership as ASEAN Chair for 2025. 

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, was praised not only by fellow ASEAN leaders, but also by his counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and China, in leading summit talks when chairing the 46th ASEAN Summit, the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.

The summits also served as a platform for ASEAN to extend its engagement beyond internal matters as leaders took the opportunity to discuss the adverse impact of sweeping American tariffs on 168 countries, including on ASEAN members. 

To counter the adverse effects of the import levies by the United States, they agreed to boost regional resilience by leveraging each other’s strengths and reinforcing their economies through greater trade and investment and forming commercial linkages with other groupings.

“In 2023, the GCC was ASEAN’s seventh largest trading partner with total trade reaching USD130.7 billion, while investment is also growing, reflecting confidence in our long-term prospects,” Anwar said in his opening remarks during the ASEAN-GCC Summit. 

Another defining achievement at the ASEAN Summit was the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future, which outlines the bloc’s long-term vision for a resilient, inclusive and people-centred ASEAN. 

“This declaration is a defining chapter in ASEAN’s journey. Regional integration must be genuinely people-centred – that means closing development gaps, raising standards of living, and investing in the human potential of all our citizens,” Anwar said.

In support of that vision, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Plan 2026–2030 was also adopted. It outlines six strategic goals, 44 objectives, and 192 measures, designed to drive integration and build resilience against external shocks.

Beyond geopolitics and economic strategy, ASEAN leaders also addressed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) President Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul stressed that the bloc had not remained silent.

“We called for an end to the violence in Gaza, a ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian assistance, and an end to acts of genocide. This was a consensus among all ASEAN leaders,” he said, countering criticisms of inaction.

The ASEAN Summit also reaffirmed ASEAN’s support for Timor-Leste’s full membership, possibly by this October, recognising the country’s continued progress in implementing its roadmap. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto also expressed support for Papua New Guinea’s aspirations to join the bloc in the future.

Meanwhile, ASEAN Economic Ministers concluded negotiations for the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 upgrade and the revised ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), both of which are expected to be signed at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October. 

“These milestones will serve as pivotal enablers for ASEAN’s sustained growth and competitiveness,” Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz was quoted as saying after the pact was signed.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., meanwhile, highlighted the role of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) in narrowing development gaps, particularly in connectivity, trade, energy security and green development. 

ASEAN Foreign Ministers also adopted the draft Addendum to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), marking another step forward in Timor-Leste’s accession process.

They also adopted the Guidelines to Facilitate Timor-Leste’s Accession to ASEAN Legal Instruments and Agreements, underscoring ASEAN’s commitment to supporting the country’s full membership.

In a landmark move for regional energy cooperation, energy companies from Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam signed a joint development agreement to explore renewable electricity exports from Vietnam to both Malaysia and Singapore. 

The agreement signals a growing commitment to regional power integration and decarbonisation through commercially viable solutions.

In addition, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand also inked the Framework of Cooperation (FoC) in Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT).

Signed on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, the FoC aims to streamline the cross-border movement of goods and people by promoting efficient and business-friendly procedures.

As for the crisis in Myanmar, it must be noted that earlier groundwork had already been laid by Anwar, who held talks with Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and conducted virtual discussions with the National Unity Government (NUG) Prime Minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann in Bangkok last month. 

At the conclusion of the ASEAN-GCC and ASEAN-GCC-China Summits, Anwar announced that ASEAN plans to launch free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the oil-rich GCC countries.

“(We had) the first meeting two years ago in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which was more of a formality to introduce the programme, and we went through some specific areas of collaboration,” Anwar said at the joint press conference. 

In all, it was a highly successful series of summits that emphasised on regional and making Southeast Asia an attractive destination for trade and investment. 

The 47th ASEAN Summit will be held in Kuala Lumpur in October, still under Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’.

-- BERNAMA