DAVOS: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the emphasis on the great potential of the ASEAN region was the main message delivered in conjunction with his attendance at the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Summit here.
As chairman of ASEAN 2025, Malaysia emphasised the region’s special features including in the field of economy and trade at the WEF 2025 session this time, said Anwar.
“It trades intra (ASEAN) and also as a trading force with the United States, China, Europe and with the BRICS.
“We say ASEAN with nearly 700 million people, with the fastest economic growth and a peaceful region has great potential,“ he said at the closing press conference in conjunction with his working visit to WEF 2025 here.
According to Anwar, apart from trade and economic potential, ASEAN also wants to focus on energy transition issues, in addition to issues such as education, food technology, connectivity and digital.
“Our focus, other than education and food technology, is on energy transition -- with the grid from Indochina, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia to the Philippines. This is something quite different, an extraordinary progress,“ he added.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, attended the WEF 2025 for the first time since assuming the office of prime minister in 2022 at the invitation of WEF founder and chairman of the board of trustees, Prof Klaus Schwab.
The working visit to Davos is the last destination in his series of working visits covering four countries, namely the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Switzerland.
“We are grateful that as the first time I have attended as prime minister, I think the treatment and recognition of (WEF) to the country is very good.
“Whether the path given at the plenary session (ASEAN) and also the concurrent session attended by other ministers,“ he added.
During the three-day visit to WEF 2025, Anwar was accompanied by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
The forum sessions involving ASEAN at WEF 2025 include the “ASEAN Leaders for Just Energy Transition” meeting; media briefing entitled “Unlocking ASEAN’s Digital Future: Driving Inclusive Growth and Global Competitiveness”; and the ASEAN Plenary session entitled “Even Stronger Together”.
