APEC 2025 To Align With Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship For Stronger Regional Ties

By Nabilah Saleh

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- South Korea’s hosting of APEC 2025 will coincide with Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, presenting an opportunity for both nations to drive deeper collaboration and shared prosperity across the Asia-Pacific region.

South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung Won said the alignment of these major leadership roles provides a platform to address common challenges and strengthen regional integration.

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“Malaysia and South Korea, as chairs of two major cooperation platforms, have a unique opportunity to work closely in advancing regional peace and prosperity,” Chung told Bernama in an exclusive written interview recently.

Under the theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow”, South Korea’s APEC chairmanship will focus on fostering an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040. 

The key priorities include enhancing trade and investment ties, embracing innovation and digitalisation, and addressing global challenges such as climate change, food security, and demographic shifts.

Elaborating, Chung emphasised that these goals are designed to ensure inclusivity, empowering vulnerable groups such as MSMEs, women and people with disabilities.

“With Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship coinciding with South Korea’s APEC leadership, we look forward to working together to overcome shared challenges and create a brighter future for the region,” he said.

South Korea is set to host the APEC Summit in November this year at the Hwabaek International Convention Centre in Gyeongju. 

This marks the second time South Korea is hosting the summit, with the previous occasion in 2005.

Malaysia has been an active member of APEC since its inception on Nov 6-7, 1989, and has previously hosted the summit in 1998 and 2020.

-- BERNAMA