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BUSINESS • 22/09/2025 11:15 AM

Findings, Recommendations From ASEAN Geoeconomic Task Force To Be Presented Ahead Of 47th ASEAN Summit

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- The findings and recommendations of the ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force (AGTF) will be presented and deliberated collectively during a proposed joint session of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) prior to the 47th ASEAN Summit this October.

Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the establishment of the AGTF aimed to create an ad-hoc, dedicated ASEAN Track 1.5 platform under the purview of the ASEAN High-Level Technical Forum (HLTF), primarily to develop strategic solutions in response to various tariffs imposed by the United States (US) earlier this year.

"However, during the special AEM meeting on April 10, in response to the tariffs imposed by the President Donald Trump administration, the AEM agreed that the AGTF's role should transcend ASEAN-US issues, broadening its focus to address a wider array of geopolitical and geoeconomic priorities.

"The approach ensures a balanced perspective, fosters mutual understanding, and guides policies that reinforce ASEAN's economic resilience and political coherence," he said during the opening of the 5th AGTF meeting today.

The meeting was chaired by Tengku Zafrul on the sidelines of the 57th AEM Meeting, held from Sept 22 to 26, 2025, at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

Also present were Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, and Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Liew Chin Tong.

According to Tengku Zafrul, ASEAN will be able to formulate strategies that drive sustainable growth, strengthen resilience, and secure the long-term prosperity of member states by integrating both economic and political considerations.

"Policy decisions, governance frameworks, and regional cooperation collectively shape trade, investment, and the overall economic ecosystem, underscoring the importance of a coordinated, proactive, and forward-looking strategy across ASEAN," he added.

Meanwhile, Tengku Zafrul, when met by Bernama after the meeting, said the AGTF report and findings will be presented at the AEM Meeting for review and the information of ASEAN economic ministers tomorrow.

"This is the first meeting that we are chairing where all ASEAN countries and experts discuss how economic and security issues are interconnected," he said.

The ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force was established during the 31st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Desaru, Johor, in February this year. It held its inaugural meeting on May 16.

-- BERNAMA


 

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