Malaysian premier seeks ‘positive’ outcomes at Southeast Asian bloc summit
ISTANBUL
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Tuesday that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will seek “positive” outcomes during a summit next week.
“I’m not suggesting it would be easy. We would be meeting United States, Canada, India, China, Korea and Japan this weekend and we have to seriously deliberate on these issues,” Anwar said at the DHL GoTrade Summit 2025, according to the Malay Mail newspaper.
The regional bloc will hold meetings with dialogue partners during the summit in Kuala Lumpur, which will be held under the theme: “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
“I am not underestimating the importance of such deliberations but I am cautiously optimistic that somehow rather, sanity will prevail,” Anwar added.
US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the meeting, which begins Sunday and is scheduled to run until Tuesday.
Anwar said tariffs will be among the key agenda items.
“Such turbulence reminds us of the importance of resilience, agility and regional cooperation. We believe that ASEAN must continue to embody the principle of openness and unity,” said Anwar.
“It is timely that ASEAN, and the world at large, turn their attention to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, the world’s largest trade agreement, encompassing nearly one-third of global GDP and trade,” noted Anwar.
Malaysia said last month that the RCEP, which includes China, is mulling adding new members and finding ways to boost trade.
More than 10,000 police officers have been deployed to ensure security during the summit, with some roads closed, according to the state-run Bernama news agency.
ASEAN, a regional bloc, was founded in Bangkok on Aug. 8, 1967. It currently includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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