In conjunction with the 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings, the ASEAN Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Center of Excellence for Green Transformation was officially launched today, highlighting the key role of MSMEs in driving Southeast Asian economic growth and sustainable development.
In addition, inclusive and sustainable initiatives also include the release of the report “The ASEAN Future: Outlook of the ASEAN Technological Innovation Ecosystem in 2035,” as well as the “ASEAN 2025: Shaping an Inclusive and Sustainable Future” initiative.
Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Mohamad Hassan will represent Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar at the event, which will also be attended by ASEAN foreign ministers and ASEAN Economic Community Council ministers.
ASEAN has made significant progress under its economic pillar, especially in boosting trade and investment within the region and with dialogue partners, making Southeast Asia a competitive and important destination for trade and investment.
ASEAN has 70 million MSMEs, accounting for 97.2% to 99.9% of all enterprises in ASEAN member states. Given the importance of these businesses, focusing only on large enterprises means ASEAN's trade growth will not be able to fully realize its potential.
Today's agenda also includes the 26th ASEAN Economic Community Council (AECC) Meeting, as well as informal consultations on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, all of which will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
In addition, a Special AECC Meeting will be held today, focusing on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) and the ASEAN Investment Forum 2025 (AIF2025).
Ministers and senior officials from ASEAN member states, as well as representatives from Timor-Leste, will also gather to participate in a series of high-level meetings within the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) and ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) frameworks.
The full-day event will kick off with the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM), which will be attended by representatives from Timor-Leste and ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Political-Security Community Dato' Astana.
In the evening, Mohamad Hassan will host a dinner to welcome ASEAN foreign ministers and representatives, with ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Timor-Leste Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos, and Finnish Foreign Minister Valtonen also expected to attend.