THE 46th ASEAN Summit, which runs for two days beginning today, serves as the main platform for ASEAN leaders to review the region’s progress in its three key pillars — political-security, economic and socio-cultural.
The Malaysian Prime Minister’s senior press secretary, Tunku Nashrul Abaidah, said the summit is also a key forum for discussing increasingly complex regional and global issues, including the South China Sea dispute, the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Myanmar, unilateral trade tariffs by major powers, the challenges of the digital economy and supply chain resilience.
“The Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) has consistently emphasised that under this year’s ASEAN Chairmanship, Malaysia bears a significant responsibility in shaping a stronger, and more inclusive and resilient ASEAN Community.
“Malaysia’s main focus is to ensure that ASEAN remains relevant, responsive and people-centred, in line with the ASEAN 2045 long-term vision that will be launched,” he said.
He was speaking at a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) briefing held in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit, which was broadcast live on the Anwar Ibrahim and PMO Malaysia Facebook pages today.
In addition to the summit with ASEAN member states, Tunku Nashrul said Malaysia will also host the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, both scheduled to take place tomorrow and chaired by Malaysia as the ASEAN 2025 Chair.
He said the ASEAN-GCC Summit will review the implementation of the ASEAN-GCC Framework of Cooperation 2024–2028, which includes initiatives in free trade, education, sustainable development, and cultural and digital connectivity.
“The second ASEAN-GCC Summit also reaffirms the long-term commitment between the two regions, which have maintained relations since 1990.
“ASEAN and the GCC are two significant economic blocs, with total trade reaching US$130.7 bil and GCC investments in ASEAN amounting to US$390.2 mil,” he said.
Touching on the agenda for the first day of the 46th ASEAN Summit, Tunku Nashrul said today’s sessions feature a series of key meetings involving the Prime Minister, ASEAN leaders and representatives from various sectors.
Among the scheduled events are the plenary and retreat sessions, which will provide space for in-depth discussions on regional challenges and ASEAN’s future agenda, as well as engagement sessions with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), ASEAN youth representatives, and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) to strengthen the inclusive dimension of regional policymaking.
Also taking place is the signing ceremony of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045, where the Prime Minister will deliver the opening address, followed by the ASEAN Gala Dinner as the highlight of the summit’s first day.
In addition, Tunku Nashrul said several bilateral meetings are scheduled throughout the day with strategic partners including Cambodia, Singapore, China and Kuwait.
“Today marks a significant milestone in Malaysia’s journey as the ASEAN 2025 Chair. The Prime Minister’s leadership will be in the spotlight, not only in shaping key summit decisions but also in demonstrating Malaysia’s commitment to inclusivity, sustainability and regional stability,” he said.
He added that hosting the 46th ASEAN Summit serves as a platform for Malaysia to coordinate the development agenda of a people-centred ASEAN Community, in line with the Malaysia MADANI aspiration.
“Through this chairmanship, Malaysia has the opportunity to strengthen regional diplomatic and economic cooperation, including with dialogue partners such as the GCC and China.
“Beyond that, hosting a large-scale summit like this also brings direct benefits to the domestic economy, particularly in the tourism and hospitality sectors, as well as business opportunities for local small and medium enterprises (SMEs),” he said. ‒ May 26, 2025
Main image: Bernama
