THE vital role of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in driving Southeast Asia’s economy and sustainability agenda will take centre stage today with the launch of the ASEAN Centre of Excellence for MSMEs in Green Transition.
The initiative coincides with the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, hosted by Malaysia under the theme “Inclusion and Sustainability”.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, representing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, will officiate the launch alongside ASEAN Foreign Ministers and the ASEAN Economic Ministers.
The day’s agenda also includes the unveiling of two key initiatives — the “ASEAN AHEAD: ASEAN Science, Technology, Innovation Ecosystem Foresight 2035” report and “ASEAN in 2025: Shaping an Inclusive and Sustainable Future”. Both aim to strengthen regional cooperation in innovation, inclusivity and sustainable development.
ASEAN has made notable progress under its economic pillar, particularly in enhancing trade and investment among member states and dialogue partners, positioning Southeast Asia as an increasingly competitive global hub.
With approximately 70 million MSMEs — accounting for between 97.2 and 99.9 per cent of all businesses in member states — regional leaders acknowledge that growth initiatives focusing solely on large corporations will fail to realise the region’s full trade potential.
The 26th ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Council Meeting and further informal consultations on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus are also scheduled for today at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).
A special session of the AEC Council on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement and the ASEAN Investment Forum 2025 (AIF2025) will also take place, alongside several high-level meetings under the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) and AEC frameworks, attended by ministers and senior officials from member states and Timor-Leste.
The day began with the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), attended by Timor-Leste’s representatives and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Political-Security Community, Datuk Astanah Abdul Aziz.
Later this evening, Mohamad will host a dinner for ASEAN foreign ministers and delegates, with ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas and Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in attendance.
Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025 marks its fifth since the bloc’s founding in 1967, following previous terms in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.
This year’s summit, held from 26 to 28 October, is expected to be the largest in ASEAN’s history, serving as a crucial platform to deepen regional cooperation and address global and regional challenges in a comprehensive and inclusive manner.
More than 20 world leaders are scheduled to attend, including US President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, European Council President Antonio Costa, and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Preparatory meetings for the summit began earlier this week as senior officials from the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and the United Nations (UNESCAP) arrived in Kuala Lumpur for discussions ahead of the leaders’ summit.
The ASEAN Economic Community Council is expected to focus on implementing the AEC Blueprint 2025 and addressing pressing economic and trade challenges amid global uncertainty caused by US tariff measures and ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Timor-Leste’s active participation is seen as a milestone in its accession process to become ASEAN’s 11th member, anticipated to be formalised during the summit on 26 October. - October 24, 2025
