KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 – The 15th BIMP-EAGA Summit and 15th IMT-GT Summit were held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, as part of the 42nd ASEAN Summit. Malaysian Prime Minister Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim led the Malaysian delegation to both meetings, accompanied by several ministers and senior officials from various ministries. At the BIMP-EAGA Summit, the Minister of Economy presented the Accelerating Cooperation Together (ACT) BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025 Midterm Review report.
Highlighting the subregion’s resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic growth. The report also emphasized the importance of sustainable energy resources and the role of ICT in achieving a digital economy. The Leaders endorsed the report and pledged to fast-track its implementation. During the IMT-GT Summit, the Leaders celebrated the subregion’s achievements over the past 30 years, including increased GDP and trade, and launched the IMT-GT Visit Year 2023-2025 Campaign to revive the tourism industry.
They also identified the Halal Industry as a key focus area and emphasized the importance of Physical Connectivity Projects in promoting social and economic integration. Both Summits emphasized the need for private sector and MSME participation in subregional cooperation. Malaysian entrepreneurs were encouraged to take advantage of regulatory reforms and ease of doing business to harness the potential of cross-border trade within the ASEAN region. The Leaders also recognized the importance of collaboration with development partners.
Including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in achieving subregional goals. They reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation with ASEAN and aligning projects and programs to support regional economic integration and tourism recovery. Overall, the BIMP-EAGA and IMT-GT Summits demonstrated positive progress for subregional cooperation, with a focus on sustainable development, tourism, and economic integration. The Leaders expressed optimism for the future of the subregion and pledged to work together to achieve their goals.
