THE 12th Working Group-ASEAN Economic Community (WG-AEC) Meeting commenced today in anticipation of the 31st ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Retreat, set to take place on February 28.
Chaired by Sugumari S. Shanmugam, Senior Director of the ASEAN Economic Integration Division at the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), the two-day meeting is being held at the Desaru Coast Convention Centre in Johor. It has gathered 30 delegates from all ASEAN member states, as well as Timor-Leste and the ASEAN Secretariat.
Delegates at the meeting come from various ministries and agencies, with expertise spanning beyond economic and trade sectors, in accordance with their countries’ mandates. In addition to the in-person meeting, video conferencing is available for virtual participation from ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, and appointed consultants.
The participants will negotiate, share their positions, and collaborate on the development of the ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan for 2026-2030, Bernama reported today.
Following this meeting, the 47th High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) will be held from February 24-25. The Preparatory Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting (Prep-SEOM) for the 31st AEM Retreat will take place on February 26-27.
The week-long series of meetings will culminate on February 28 with the ASEAN economic ministers gathering at the Desaru beach resort for a retreat. During this session, ministers will discuss 18 priority economic deliverables (PEDs) that focus on advancing regional economic integration, inclusivity, sustainability, and digital trade.
This retreat is part of Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN, with the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability” reflecting Malaysia’s goal of fostering a more inclusive and sustainable ASEAN community. Key priorities for Malaysia during its chairmanship include boosting intra-ASEAN trade and investment and expanding ASEAN’s economic partnerships beyond the region. – February 22, 2025
