Malaysia invites Indonesia to boost intra-ASEAN trade together

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan has invited Indonesia to work together to accelerate economic interaction and trade between ASEAN countries for the benefit of the Southeast Asian people. In a joint press statement with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono following the 17th Indonesia-Malaysia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting on Thursday, he stated that strengthening intra-ASEAN trade is an aspiration of regional leaders.

“The desire of these leaders must be implemented as effectively as possible so that trade between ASEAN countries continues to increase and brings prosperity to our people,” said Mohamad Hasan in Jakarta. He noted that currently, ASEAN nations trade more extensively with partners outside of ASEAN, while intra-ASEAN trade has yet to reach 25 per cent of the region’s total trade.

Hasan also emphasised the importance of increasing trade and economic resilience within Southeast Asia following the crises in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war, which have caused significant geopolitical impacts worldwide. However, in the effort to boost intra-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, the Malaysian Foreign Minister highlighted the importance of enhancing regional connectivity.

Consequently, during this 17th JCBC meeting in Jakarta, Indonesian and Malaysian delegations also discussed efforts to improve connectivity between the two nations as part of a broader push for regional connectivity. “We also discussed how to make it easier for people between countries to connect with one another,” said the Malaysian Foreign Minister, affectionately known as Tok Mat.

Furthermore, during the ASEAN Economic Community Council meeting on 30 April, ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, economic ministers from ASEAN nations agreed on several steps to strengthen regional trade. On that occasion, the economic ministers stated that their respective countries are committed to “strengthening intra-ASEAN trade and supply chain connectivity” through improved logistics coordination, timely information delivery, and continuous consultation. They also agreed to avoid imposing unnecessary non-tariff measures during times of crisis and pledged to ensure the continued openness of trade infrastructure, such as land borders, airports, and seaports.