ASEAN Economic Ministers Gather in Kuala Lumpur for 57th AEM Meeting

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23: Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz today welcomed ASEAN counterparts at the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting and the 39th ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Council session, held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

The meeting brought together regional leaders to strengthen ASEAN’s economic cooperation, discuss strategies for trade liberalization, and review progress on integration under the ASEAN Economic Community.

Tengku Zafrul, who chaired the event, was joined by Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong and senior officials from across ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste.

Among the participants were Laos’ Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaithong Kommasith, Myanmar’s Director General of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Dr. Malar Myo Nyunt, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, Thailand’s Deputy Permanent Secretary of Commerce Ekachat Seetavorarat, and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan.

From the other side, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Timor-Leste’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Filipus Nino Pereira, Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, Cambodia’s Secretary of State for Economy and Finance Dr. Phan Phalla, Brunei’s Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy Datuk Dr. Amin Liew Abdullah, and the Philippines’ Secretary of Trade and Industry Ma. Cristina Aldeguer-Roque also attended.

The ministers are expected to deliberate on key issues, including regional supply chain resilience, digital economy frameworks, and sustainable trade initiatives, as ASEAN works toward deeper economic integration and inclusive growth.