ASEAN’s foreign and economic ministers convened in Kuala Lumpur today for a high-level joint meeting aimed at strengthening policy coordination and setting shared priorities ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, which open on Sunday.
The ASEAN Joint Foreign and Economic Ministers’ Meeting, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, gathered ministers and senior officials from all ASEAN member states, along with representatives from Timor-Leste, the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN Geoeconomic Task Force (AGTF).
The meeting seeks to align strategic objectives across ASEAN’s political-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars, reinforcing the bloc’s unity and coherence amid growing geopolitical and economic challenges.
As ASEAN Chair for 2025, Malaysia has underscored the need for greater synergy between the foreign and economic policy tracks to ensure the bloc’s capacity to respond effectively to cross-cutting regional issues, from trade facilitation and investment promotion to peace, security and people-to-people connectivity.
Today’s agenda also includes the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 30th ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting and the 37th ASEAN Coordination Council (ACC) Meeting.
In a landmark development, Timor-Leste will take another step towards full ASEAN membership with the formal Ceremony of Depositing of the Instrument of Accession to the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ).
Separately, Finland will sign its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), reaffirming its commitment to ASEAN’s principles of peace, neutrality and dialogue-based engagement.
Running parallel to the ministerial meetings, the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2025 is taking place at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), bringing together business leaders and policymakers to discuss technology, sustainable growth and regional integration.
Malaysia further strengthened its ASEAN 2025 Chairmanship by launching three landmark initiatives on 24 October designed to propel the region’s agenda of inclusivity, sustainability and future-readiness.
These are the MSME Excellence Centre for Green Transition in ASEAN (MEGA), the *ASEAN Ahead: STI Ecosystem Foresight 2035 and Beyond* report, and the ASEAN in 2025: Shaping an Inclusive and Sustainable Future publication.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan described the launch as a defining moment for Malaysia’s chairmanship, emphasising that the initiatives symbolise ASEAN’s shared commitment to navigating an increasingly complex global landscape.
“These initiatives ensure ASEAN’s progress is guided not by chance but by choice, grounded in knowledge, driven by innovation and directed toward a future that is inclusive and sustainable,” he said in his keynote address.
He said the MEGA Centre will support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) — the backbone of ASEAN’s economy — in transitioning towards greener, more sustainable business practices through targeted training and knowledge sharing.
The ASEAN Ahead foresight report outlines trends and opportunities that will shape the region’s science, technology and innovation (STI) landscape over the next decade, while ASEAN in 2025 compiles perspectives from more than 30 regional thought leaders on geopolitics, sustainability, trade and digital transformation.
Speaking later to reporters, Mohamad stressed that ASEAN’s growth must remain both responsible and sustainable.
“Our progress must not come at the expense of the planet or our people. The ASEAN Community Vision 2045 must remain anchored on inclusivity, sustainability and shared prosperity,” he said.
The 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits will run from 26 to 28 October under Malaysia’s Chairmanship theme of ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’. It is expected to be one of the largest gatherings in the bloc’s history, serving as a key platform for deepening regional cooperation and addressing global challenges collectively.
This marks Malaysia’s fifth term as ASEAN Chair since the organisation’s founding in 1967, following previous chairmanships in 2015, 2005, 1997 and 1977.- October 25, 2025
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