PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Poland have expressed readiness to deepen cooperation between ASEAN and the European Union (EU), leveraging their respective chairmanships to drive a more strategic and long-term interregional partnership.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the ongoing alignment, with Malaysia chairing ASEAN this year and Poland assuming the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2025, has created a unique diplomatic opportunity to foster closer ASEAN-EU relations, particularly in trade.
“This visit by President Andrzej Duda is very special because he currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, while Malaysia is the Chair of ASEAN. Our discussions touched on both bilateral matters and broader ASEAN-EU issues,“ Anwar told a joint press conference with the Polish leader here today.
He noted that talks between ASEAN and the EU, particularly on the free trade agreement (FTA), have gained new momentum after years of slow progress. “The negotiations had been protracted, perhaps due to differing priorities in the past. But over the last year and especially in recent months, we have seen an accelerated process. I am pleased that under the EU presidency, we are witnessing this fast-tracked approach,“ he said.
Anwar highlighted that the EU, including Poland, remains a critical strategic and economic partner for Malaysia and the wider ASEAN region.
Meanwhile, President Duda said one of the key areas of discussion was strengthening cooperation between Malaysia and Central European countries involved in the Three Seas Initiative, which includes EU member states from Central Europe. “Poland held the presidency of both the EU Council and the Three Seas Initiative in the past half-year. I discussed with the Prime Minister how ASEAN views cooperation with the Three Seas countries, and I have extended an invitation to him to participate in future summits under this initiative,“ Duda said.
He explained that the Three Seas Initiative comprises only EU member states, offering a potential platform for increased economic dialogue and connectivity with ASEAN.
Duda said discussions also covered global security issues, including the Middle East conflict, Russian aggression against Ukraine, and concerns over North Korean involvement in the war.
“Poland has long supported the two-state solution in the Middle East, a position shared by most of the EU and the United Nations. We also spoke about Poland’s role as Ukraine’s neighbour, including our acceptance of millions of refugees,“ he said, adding that he sought ASEAN’s perspective on these global developments, especially given Malaysia’s current role as ASEAN Chair.
Duda, who is currently in Malaysia for his official visit to the country, was accorded a formal welcome at Perdana Putra Complex earlier today. He assumed office in August 2015.
His visit coincides with Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2025.
In 2024, Poland was Malaysia’s eighth-largest trading partner among European Union member states, with total bilateral trade rising by 19.5 per cent to US$1.33 billion (RM5.66 billion) compared to 2023.
Malaysia’s major exports to Poland include electrical and electronics products, rubber products and machinery, while key imports from Poland consist of machinery, equipment and parts, electrical and electronic products and transport equipment.
