KUALA LUMPUR, 26 Oct — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for deeper Asean-Japan cooperation, emphasising that the partnership’s vast potential is anchored in trust, shared values, and decades of friendship.
Delivering his opening remarks at the 28th Asean-Japan Summit, he said the bloc looks forward to working closely with Japan to advance their shared vision of innovation, clean energy, and resilient growth.
“I am honoured to welcome Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to her first Asean-Japan Summit. We extend our warmest congratulations on your assumption of office, and we hope that your leadership will bring new energy to our long-standing friendship.
“With this spirit, I look forward to hearing the views of my esteemed colleagues as we chart a renewed and forward-looking direction for Asean-Japan cooperation,” Anwar said.
Takaichi, who is the Liberal Democratic Party's president, was elected Prime Minister on Tuesday (October 21), becoming the country’s first female head of government.
Meanwhile, in her opening remarks, she said Japan seeks to leverage its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) policy to strengthen ties with Asean further.
Japan and Asean have built a trust-based partnership founded on a “heart-to-heart connection” through long-standing cooperation across a wide range of sectors.
Takaichi added that Japan advocates the FOIP and has consistently supported the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), which shares the same fundamental principles and values.
“It is very gratifying to be able to adopt a joint statement with Asean leaders here today, which forms the synergy between FOIP and AOIP and confirms our commitment to promoting further cooperation between Japan and Asean.
"Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's launch of FOIP in 2016. We will use this opportunity to reposition FOIP as a pillar of Japanese diplomacy and evolve it in line with changes in the times," she said.
