EU must engage with ASEAN closely, urges Chin Tong

KUALA LUMPUR: The European Union (EU) should engage with ASEAN more closely due to its vast market opportunity, says International Trade and Industry (MITI) Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong.

Speaking at the Fireside Chat session of the 10th ASEAN-EU Business Summit in Brussels, Belgium, Liew suggested that gaps in resources and capacities between these regions could be narrowed through various support.

This included targeted funding, technology transfer as well as capacity building programmes, he said.

Liew also stressed the importance of both regions to support each other in building a “middle-class society” in ASEAN.

He was recently appointed deputy minister of MITI under the coalition government on Dec 10.

The Summit, hosted by the EU-ASEAN Business Council, was held as a sideline to the 45th ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit.

Political leaders, business heads and government officials from ASEAN and EU has gathered to exchange views on the theme of “Deepening ASEAN-EU Trade: Sustainable Development for All”.

Together with Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Liew was also present at the signing of the Malaysia-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (MEUPCA).

The Agreement is aimed at resuming bilateral trade negotiations between Malaysia and the EU, which have been suspended since 2012.