THE Myanmar delegation led by Deputy Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Dr Wah Wah Maung, the Lead of Myanmar HLTF-EI, attended the 47th Meeting of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (46th HLTF-EI) which was held on 24-25 February 2025 in Desaru, Johor, Malaysia.
The meeting discussed the global and regional outlook, Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship, the updates on the End-Term Review (ETR) of the AEC Blueprint 2025, the implementation of the sustainability initiatives, the development of the AEC Strategic Plan 2026-2030, and the progress of the implementation of the piloting of Good Regulatory Practices (GRP) in Electric Vehicle and Batteries Industry. In addition, the recommendations for the consideration of the 31st ASEAN Economic Minister Retreat Meeting which will be held on 28 February 2025.
At the meeting, the deputy minister discussed emphasizing the issues that can be caused by the current geo-economic policy changes and environmental challenges, to enhance the SME development for increasing intra-ASEAN trade and investment, the matters to enhance more cooperation across ASEAN pillars, sectorial bodies, working groups for the timely implementation of the PEDs under Malaysia Chairmanship, and to share the experiences of ASEAN Member States for the implementation of the piloting of GRP in Electric Vehicle and Batteries Industry. Deputy Minister Dr Wah Wah Maung also discussed finalizing the drafting of the AEC Strategic Plan (2026- 2030) by highlighting to ensure consistency, fair and equitable allocation of projects, to make sure of participatory and inclusiveness for narrowing down the development gaps among ASEAN Member States.
The meeting was chaired by Dato’ Hairil Yahri Yaacob, Secretary-General for the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia, and attended by the leads and representatives of the High-level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration from the ASEAN Member States, the deputy secretary-general and officials from the ASEAN Secretariat. The High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) is formed by Deputy Ministers and Permanent Secretaries of ASEAN Member States which discuss the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community and future programmes and provide recommendations to the ASEAN Economic Ministries for consideration. — MIFER
