VIENTIANE: Malaysia, which will take on the ASEAN chairmanship next year, will step up efforts to attract investments from and boost trade with the bloc’s member countries and dialogue partners.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that towards that end, Malaysia will leverage international cooperation under the East Asia Summit which involves 18 participating countries, including the 10 ASEAN member states, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States.
“Malaysia intends to ensure all these meetings would help attract investments and grow trade, including increasing sales of oil palm products,” he told the Malaysian media on the final day of the 45th and 46th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits here today.
According to the prime minister, Malaysia will launch the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, a strategic framework aimed at supporting regional cooperation over the next two decades.
“This is a very good opportunity and has been agreed on,” he said.
In a separate development, Anwar said Malaysia will assist in expediting the process of Timor-Leste being accepted as a full member of the bloc.
However, he said, the country would still have to meet several set conditions.
“But through the Foreign Ministry, we will try to expedite the process and assist (Timor-Leste). Most of the obstacles are related to economic regulations; and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz will assist in terms of securing approval for several required preconditions,” he added.
