ASEAN 2025: International Media Centre For AEM Retreat In Desaru Opens Today

KOTA TINGGI, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- The International Media Centre (IMC) for the 31st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Retreat in Desaru officially began operations today.

The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), the Official Media and Coordinator of the IMC for ASEAN Summit 2025, is providing media requirements including news materials and photos to local and international media personnel.

IMC Coordinator Zaria Mohd Nasri said that so far, 98 local and international media representatives have registered to cover the AEM Retreat.

“As the official media, Bernama will provide comprehensive coverage across all our platforms including Bernama Wires, Bernama Photo, Bernama TV (Astro 502), Bernama Radio and Bernama Digital,” she told Bernama today.

Zaria said that among the facilities provided at the IMC are workstations, high-speed Internet facilities, coffee and tea rooms, information counters and interview management.

More than 200 delegates from the 10 ASEAN member states and observer country, Timor-Leste, are expected to attend the retreat.

The ASEAN economic ministers are scheduled to gather for the retreat to be chaired by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz on Feb 28.

They are expected to discuss 18 Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) aimed at driving regional economic integration, inclusiveness, sustainability and digital trade.

Before the retreat, the 12th Working Group-ASEAN Economic Community (WG-AEC) meeting was held on Feb 22-23, followed by the 47th High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) for two days starting yesterday.

The Preparatory Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting (Prep-SEOM) for the 31st AEM Retreat is scheduled to be held on Feb 26-27.

The AEM Retreat is held in conjunction with Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship this year with the theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, reflecting the country's aspirations to create a more inclusive, prosperous and sustainable ASEAN community.

Malaysia took over the ASEAN Chairmanship from Laos on Jan 1.

This is the fifth time Malaysia has held the ASEAN Chairmanship after 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.

ASEAN, which was founded on Aug 8, 1967, is currently made up of 10 Southeast Asian countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, while Timor-Leste's accession to become a member state is still in the process.

-- BERNAMA