CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT 

OF THE ASEAN JOINT FOREIGN AND ECONOMIC MINISTERS’ 

(AMM-AEM) MEETING 

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 25 OCTOBER 2025 

1. The ASEAN Joint Foreign and Economic Ministers’ (AMM-AEM) Meeting was convened on 25 October 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Meeting, chaired by H.E. Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia as the Chair of AMM, together with H.E. Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, as the Chair of AEM, was attended by ASEAN Foreign and Economic Ministers, Secretary-General of ASEAN and the Experts from the ASEAN Geoeconomic Task Force (AGTF). Timor-Leste was also in attendance as Observer. 

2. We recognised that the current geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape poses unprecedented challenges to the region. We called for greater synergy across the political and economic pillars to respond to the growing economic-security nexus and navigate an increasingly complex and fragmented landscape. 

3. We are cognisant of the continued challenges posed by global trade uncertainties on our economy and global supply chain participation. To this end, we reaffirmed ASEAN’s unwavering commitment to upholding the multilateral trading system, and underscored the importance of predictable, transparent, inclusive, free, fair, sustainable and rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core. 

4. Amid protectionism, shifting global power dynamics, and overlapping crises, we reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN Centrality and Unity in safeguarding a peaceful, stable, and inclusive regional architecture. We strengthened our resolve to uphold open regionalism to build strategic trust and confidence, uphold international law, and deepen mutually beneficial partnerships and cooperation with external partners. 

5. We expressed appreciation for the work of the AGTF, which is aligned with ASEAN’s agenda to be proactive, united, and forward-looking in safeguarding and advancing the region’s resolve to achieve the vision of ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future. In particular, we welcomed the key findings and recommendations by the AGTF which outline the holistic three-pronged approach by ASEAN to address the immediate fallout from uncertainties in international trade policies, strengthen regional resilience, as well as shape global governance and reinforce ASEAN institutions. 

6. We tasked the Senior Officials, in coordination with the ASEAN Secretariat, to discuss the recommendations made by AGTF and submit their assessment and propose way forward. We noted the view for all ASEAN Community pillars to mainstream the concept of regional economic security into their work in strengthening ASEAN’s collective capacity to anticipate, manage, and respond to cross-pillar risks. 

7. We underscored the importance of asserting ASEAN’s relevance on the global stage, by reinforcing confidence among partners, investors, and the peoples of our region. This involves taking concrete actions to strengthen ASEAN’s politicalsecurity and economic architectures. In this regard, ASEAN reaffirmed our shared resolve, among others to: (a) enhance ASEAN’s internal coordination, foster existing cross-sectoral mechanisms, for a strategic, effective, and coherent ASEAN response; (b) increase intra-ASEAN trade and investment and advance integration across sectors; (c) uphold our commitments in ASEAN agreements such as the Upgrade of the ASEAN Trade-In-Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); and (d) leverage, modernise, and upgrade ASEAN Plus One Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and the RCEP in mitigating the risk of global trade uncertainties and supply chain disruptions. 

8. We urged for the recommendations made by the AGTF to be aligned with the forthcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Plan 2026–2030 as well as the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 to ensure coherence with ASEAN’s broader vision of a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable regional economy. 9. Building on these efforts and in support of ASEAN’s forward-looking agenda, we recommended that our officials explore the idea of institutionalising the Joint AMM-AEM Meeting as an annual standing engagement to be convened prior to the ASEAN Summits.