KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for deeper alignment between Asean’s foreign and economic policy tracks to strengthen regional unity in the face of rising geopolitical and trade tensions.
Speaking at the opening of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), Anwar stressed the urgency of coordinated action as traditional tools for growth—like trade and investment—are increasingly weaponised for political leverage.
Warning that these pressures are now the “new weather of our time,” Anwar urged Asean to confront global challenges with institutional strength, strategic clarity, and practical cooperation that improves lives across the region.
He also rejected external spheres of influence, asserting Asean’s right to chart its own course and called for accelerated intra-regional trade, sectoral integration, and shared action on connectivity, food security, education, and climate resilience.
