KUALA LUMPUR: The ASEAN Geoeconomic Task Force will present its findings and recommendations during a joint session of ASEAN foreign and economic ministers before the 47th ASEAN Summit this October.
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz stated that the task force was established to develop strategic solutions addressing recent United States tariffs.
He explained that the task force’s role expanded beyond ASEAN-US issues during a special economic ministers meeting on April 10 to address broader geopolitical and geoeconomic priorities.
“This approach ensures balanced perspectives, fosters mutual understanding, and guides policies reinforcing ASEAN’s economic resilience and political coherence,“ he said during the opening of the fifth task force meeting.
The meeting occurred alongside the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre from September 22 to 26.
Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri and Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong attended the session.
Tengku Zafrul emphasized that integrating economic and political considerations would help ASEAN formulate strategies for sustainable growth and long-term prosperity.
He added that policy decisions, governance frameworks, and regional cooperation collectively shape trade, investment, and the overall economic ecosystem across member states.
The ASEAN Geoeconomic Task Force was established during the 31st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Desaru, Johor, in February and held its inaugural meeting on May 16. – Bernama
