KUALA LUMPUR: The Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to the Asean meeting today discussed the acceleration of the East Asia Summit (EAS) outcome documents.
Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to Asean, Sarah Nava Rani Al Bakri Devadason, said the meeting focused on ongoing coordination and follow-up efforts with Asean’s external partners. The EAS is scheduled to take place on Oct 27 (Monday).
“We generally discussed our acceleration efforts with partners such as Australia, Russia, the United States and New Zealand, as well as preparations for the EAS outcome documents.
“We will continue holding meetings to ensure that the leaders’ statements and other related documents are ready for adoption during the EAS and other summits,” she told reporters on the sidelines after chairing the CPR meeting here today.
Sara said discussions were still ongoing, with no final decisions made yet, as the CPR continues to fine-tune outcome documents and statements for adoption by Asean leaders.
“It’s still under discussion, but it mainly involves functional cooperation matters that have been concluded. For example, the Initiative for Asean Integration (IAI) Work Plan and similar areas.
“It’s an ongoing process that requires continuous engagement with our external partners. These are essentially updates on our regular work — how the Permanent Representatives in Jakarta are progressing with negotiations and preparations under Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship,” she said.
The CPR meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Asean, Natércia Cipriana Coelho da Silva, and Asean Deputy Secretary-General for the Political-Security Community (APSC), Datuk Astanah Abdul Aziz.
The meeting reviewed progress across Asean’s political-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars while aligning deliverables for adoption during the summit week.
Under Malaysia’s 2025 Asean Chairmanship theme, “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits are set to be among the largest gatherings in the bloc’s history, serving as a crucial platform to foster deeper collaboration and address regional and global challenges in a cohesive and inclusive manner.
The event will also see Timor-Leste’s active participation as it moves towards accession as the 11th member of Asean, which is expected to be announced on Oct 26.
Malaysia’s hosting of the Asean Summit and related meetings comes at a time when the global economy continues to be affected by tariffs and trade tensions imposed by major powers, including the United States.
These meetings include the 26th Asean Economic Community (AEC) Council Meeting, where officials will discuss the AEC Blueprint 2025, focusing on enhanced connectivity, sectoral cooperation, people-centred initiatives and the region’s integration into the global economy.
In addition, senior economic officials and experts from Asean member states are expected to convene for the Asean Geoeconomics Task Force (AGTF) Experts+4 Meeting, which includes representatives from the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, and the Boston Consulting Group.
The meeting will discuss strategies to navigate intensifying global geoeconomic challenges and tariff issues.
Among the over 20 world leaders scheduled to attend the summit are United States President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, European Union President Antonio Costa and Japan’s first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to follow the proceedings virtually.
This marks the fifth time Malaysia has assumed the Asean Chair since the bloc’s inception in 1967, following previous chairmanships in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
