Desaru: The 47th High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) emphasized the necessity for ASEAN to expedite its efforts in enhancing intra-regional trade and investment to strengthen economic resilience, as the meeting entered its second day.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry's secretary-general, Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob, highlighted the key takeaways from the first day of the meeting. These included enhancing trade resilience through upgraded free trade agreements and optimizing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Additionally, the discussions focused on expanding trade partnerships beyond traditional markets to reduce dependency and unlock new growth opportunities. Strengthening ties with the United States through the ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA) and the Expanded Economic Engagement (E3) in high-value sectors like semiconductors, green technology, and digital services was also a priority.

The meeting also addressed challenges such as inflationary pressures and climate-related disasters, advocating for expedited green investments and sustainable practices. Hairil Yahri noted the pivotal transition of ASEAN from the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025 towards the ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045, emphasizing the importance of deepening intra-regional trade, diversifying partnerships, and accelerating the green transition.

Hairil Yahri expressed Malaysia's commitment to delivering actionable and impactful economic outcomes, aligning with Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship priorities. The HLTF-EI discussed managing risks and ensuring the timely completion of 2025 Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs), encouraging sectoral bodies to support cross-cutting PEDs and provide regular progress updates to the ASEAN Secretariat for effective monitoring.

The HLTF-EI convenes ahead of the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Retreat, chaired by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. The retreat, scheduled for February 28, is part of Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship, themed 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', aiming to foster an inclusive and sustainable ASEAN community.