Kuala Lumpur (VNA)♏ – Malaysia is committed to successfully hosting the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits next month, said a senior official.

Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin after the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) in the Senate on September 3 that the presence of world leaders next month will elevate the country’s profile as a respected regional diplomatic hub, while also underscoring the nation’s commitment to peace, stability and prosperity at both the regional and global levels. Malaysia’s foreign policy, which is independent and neutral, and anchored on principled and pragmatic approaches, continues to strengthen the nation’s standing on the world stage, he noted. He further stated that the hosting of the 46th ASEAN Summit, the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, as well as the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related sessions, serves as critical platforms for ASEAN member states to voice deep concern over current global challenges. These, he said, include geopolitical tensions, climate change, global economic uncertainties and humanitarian crises such as those in Myanmar and Palestine. Malaysia has stressed the need for ASEAN to strengthen internal unity, take firm action on issues that undermine its solidarity and credibility, and remain principled in articulating the region’s stance on global issues, he said. Meanwhile, Mohamad said Malaysia will continue to enhance bilateral ties with the US through open dialogue and strategic cooperation in key areas including trade, investment, defence, security, health, education and people-to-people relations. He said ties established since diplomatic relations were forged in 1957 have made significant contributions to economic growth, technological advancement and high-value investment opportunities. In 2024, Malaysia’s trade with the US amounted to 324.91 billion RM (76.90 billion USD), while the US also ranked as Malaysia’s top source of foreign direct investment (FDI) that year, valued at 105.94 billion RM. Deputy Minister Mohamad affirmed that Malaysia will always pursue a balanced approach based on the principle of fostering good relations with all countries, while respecting sovereignty and international law./.