Azernews.Az

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan continues his contacts in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, where he is attending the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Fidan attended the Türkiye–ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partnership Tripartite Meeting in Malaysia.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Fidan said, “This meeting provides a very important opportunity to evaluate Türkiye–ASEAN cooperation and gives us the opportunity to assess our ideals for the future.”

Criticizing global governance mechanisms, Fidan added that the Asia-Pacific region is at a crucial juncture. Geographic tensions, economic volatility, and environmental challenges continue to shape our future and this era.

He noted: "Perceptions of security have also shifted due to the competition between major rival powers. Countries in the region are recalibrating their national security doctrines, increasing defense spending, and prioritizing economic security.

Global dynamics are also extremely interconnected. Different crises in this region prompt us to react in the same way. Although these crises are real and reflect different geographies, we see that existing global governance mechanisms fall short in responding to them. As my esteemed brother pointed out, the situation in Gaza is a particularly significant manifestation of this.

These mechanisms are fragmented, merely reactive, and trapped in geographical impasses. But we must collectively address these issues now, building bridges and collaborating to tackle regional challenges. Policies born of shared wisdom must emerge through mutual cooperation, and we need this even more in this increasingly polarized world. This aligns precisely with an area where we prioritize cooperation with ASEAN.”

Minister Fidan continued his statement and emphasized that Türkiye and ASEAN are strategically important actors and have the potential to complement each other in crucial ways. Both are at the heart of logistics corridors.

"In this sense, we can play important roles in connectivity. Both Türkiye and ASEAN can act as centers of economic activity in their regions. Designated as the world’s fifth-largest economic organization, ASEAN has proven itself as a success story in regional integration.

Türkiye is the 17th-largest economy and the fastest-growing country in the OECD. Our bilateral trade volume exceeded $15.7 billion last year. This demonstrates the immense significance of our existing potential. ASEAN’s principle of shared prosperity resonates with Türkiye’s renewed Asia initiative. However, this is not the only dimension of our engagement. Both sides are actors who, through cooperation, embody the principles of peace, inclusiveness, and mutual benefit.

We intend to deepen our cooperation with ASEAN based on the three principles of the ASEAN Community. Our primary goal is a dialogue partnership. In this regard, we intend to develop our engagement with ASEAN in line with our shared strategic goals. Türkiye supports ASEAN’s 2045 vision to create a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable society," he said.

As part of his contacts today, Minister Fidan met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkachenko, Laos Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane, and Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.