No Tariff, Trade Talk During Meetings Ahead Of Summit -- Mohamad Hasan

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- The issue of trade and tariffs was not discussed during the meetings held ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He said that ASEAN will not issue a joint statement regarding the ongoing trade conflict with the United States.

“We did not discuss trade or tariff issues during our meetings, and it is good for each country to have their own statement and deal directly with the US.

“I think US President Donald Trump, for that matter, is rather comfortable dealing bilaterally rather than multilaterally,” he told a press conference here today.

Regarding ASEAN’s relations with the European Union (EU), Mohamad said both parties are now in the final stage of negotiating the ASEAN–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

He said progress in talks between ASEAN and the EU has developed positively.

“ASEAN is now at the final stage of negotiating the ASEAN–EU FTA. I think we are progressing very well. Hopefully, we can conclude this FTA soon,” he added.

Mohamad added that European Council President Antonio Costa will attend the upcoming ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.

Malaysia, which holds the ASEAN chairmanship this year under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, will host the 47th ASEAN Summit from Oct 26 to 28.

The summit is expected to be the largest ASEAN gathering since the bloc’s establishment in 1967, and it will welcome several global leaders, such as US President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This is Malaysia’s fifth ASEAN chairmanship, following the previous terms in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.

-- BERNAMA