KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — The 4th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministers’ Meeting will discuss ways to improve trade flows in the region on the fourth day of the 57th Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) and Related Meetings today.
The meeting, chaired by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, will focus on strengthening trade flows, deepening regional economic cooperation, and reinforcing Asean’s role at the core of the world’s largest free trade pact. The meeting will also prepare member states for the agenda to be presented at the RCEP Summit, planned for the 47th Asean Summit next month.
The Asean-led initiative is the world's largest trade pact, encompassing 15 member countries, including the 10 Asean nations as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
According to Tengku Zafrul, RCEP has not held an official leaders’ meeting since it signed a trade deal in November 2020.
In August, when announcing Malaysia would host a RCEP leaders’ summit, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said RCEP remains the largest free-trade area in the world, covering 30 per cent of global gross domestic product, and that the grouping “must not remain a legal text on paper but must be renewed with political energy”.
According to the official AEM programme, the day’s proceedings will also include the 30th AEM-Closer Economic Relations (CER) Consultation with Australia and New Zealand, followed by the 13th East Asia Summit (EAS) Economic Ministers’ Meeting, which will deliberate on regional economic cooperation and the future direction for EAS collaboration
This will be followed by the 5th AEM-United Kingdom (UK) Consultation with Minister of State for the Department for Business and Trade and the 21st AEM-European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Consultation, to be attended by the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, Maros Sefcovic.
These meetings are expected to discuss economic cooperation and trade issues, aimed at strengthening the economic partnership and identifying new areas for collaboration between Asean, the UK, and the EU.
In the evening, the programme includes the 11th Asean-EU Business Summit, organised by the EU-Asean Business Council, with the participation of AEM. The day will wrap up with the Asean-Canada High-Level Business Dinner, hosted by the Canada-Asean Business Council.
Held under Malaysia’s 2025 Asean chairmanship, the 57th AEM and Related Meetings have drawn more than 500 delegates from the 10 Asean member states and key dialogue partners.
With the theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, the week-long gathering comprises 20 meetings and side programmes from September 22 to 26 at the sprawling Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec).
This marks the fifth time Malaysia has assumed the Asean chairmanship since joining the regional bloc, following its previous terms in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.
