This came during his speech at the opening of the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, where Ibrahim announced his efforts to hold a unified meeting between the ASEAN bloc and US President Donald Trump to discuss the issue of customs duties, expressing his hope that the meeting would be held this year.
Malaysia currently holds the presidency of the association, and Ibrahim emphasized that the peace, stability, and prosperity of ASEAN countries depend on an open, inclusive, and rules-based international order, noting that this order is currently being undermined by arbitrary measures.
The Malaysian Prime Minister added that the association, which has agreed to avoid retaliatory responses, has formed a working group to coordinate responses to the US tariffs in parallel with bilateral negotiations being conducted by some member states.
In April, Trump announced a temporary 90-day suspension of tariffs on most countries worldwide, and concluded a similar agreement with China in May, helping ease tensions in the trade war.
Anwar stated that the ASEAN leaders' meeting scheduled for Tuesday with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is the first trilateral meeting of its kind and will encourage new cooperation to help strengthen the association's economy.
Ibrahim added that ASEAN leaders will launch a new 20-year vision later today, aimed at deepening economic and social integration among member states.
ASEAN includes major economies such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. The region relies heavily on exports to the United States and has been hurt by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, which ranged from 10% on Singapore to 49% on Cambodia.
