Kuala Lumpur (VNA) ꦗ- Malaysia and Poland have expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU), leveraging their respective chairmanships to drive a more strategic and long-term interregional partnership.

Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship this year and Poland assuming the European Council presidency in the first half of 2025 have created a unique diplomatic opportunity to foster closer ASEAN-EU relations, particularly in trade, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said at a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda during his state visit to the Southeast Asian nation on June 10. According to PM Anwar, the two sides had in-depth discussions on enhancing cooperation in defence and key economic areas such as food technology, digital technology, renewable energy and the halal industry. He appreciated Poland's expertise in green hydrogen and advanced food technology, which would support Malaysia's sustainable development goals and industry. In addition, the Malaysian PM also welcomed a 19.5% year-on-year rise in bilateral trade between 2023 and 2024, describing it as a reflection of the “deepening economic partnership” between the two countries. At their meeting, the two leaders also discussed ASEAN-EU cooperation and appreciated the results achieved, especially the progress in the negotiations of the ASEAN-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). PM Anwar highlighted that the EU, including Poland, remains a critical strategic and economic partner for Malaysia and the wider ASEAN region. Meanwhile, President Duda said one of the key areas of discussion was strengthening cooperation between Malaysia and Central European countries involved in the Three Seas Initiative, aiming to offer a potential platform for increased economic dialogue and connectivity with ASEAN. He extended an invitation to Anwar to participate in future summits under this initiative. The two leaders also discussed global security issues, including the conflict in the Middle East, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as ASEAN's view of the global and regional situation. Poland ranked as Malaysia’s eighth-largest EU trading partner in 2024, with total bilateral trade reaching 1.33 billion USD. Malaysia’s main exports to Poland include electronics, rubber products and machinery, while Poland exports machinery, equipment and spare parts, electronic products and transport equipment to Malaysia./.