THE 46th ASEAN Summit, currently underway at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, will tackle the United States’ tariff concerns through bilateral discussions and among heads of state, said Finance Minister II, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.
“The ASEAN Summit provides an opportunity for all ASEAN countries, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and China to discuss regional issues, strengthen ties and increase trade,” he told reporters after officiating the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) International Accountants Conference 2025.
Highlighting ASEAN’s priorities, Amir Hamzah stressed, “The priority in ASEAN is to resolve the issues in Myanmar, and we have a solution where Malaysia is taking an important role to bring Myanmar back to the path that we all want.”
He added that ongoing cooperation between ASEAN, the GCC, and China presents a valuable opportunity to build a bloc that can boost mutual trade.
Organised under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025 with the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” this marks Malaysia’s fifth term as chair since 1977.
In addition to addressing pressing regional concerns such as the Myanmar crisis, the summit will feature two significant inter-regional engagements: the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, reinforcing the growing partnership between Southeast Asia and its strategic allies in the Gulf and China. - May 26, 2025