The 26th BIMP-EAGA Ministerial Meeting, as well as its associated meetings, were chaired by the Honorable Dato Seri Setia Dr. Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, who holds the position of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance. These sessions took place at The Empire Brunei.
These gatherings brought together ministers, chief ministers, and governors from BIMP-EAGA, alongside senior officials from BIMP-EAGA, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the ASEAN Secretariat.
In his opening speech, the Honorable Dato Seri Setia Dr. Haji Mohd Amin Liew acknowledged several accomplishments within the ASEAN framework and emphasized the importance of BIMP-EAGA harnessing these initiatives to achieve the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025.
Furthermore, the Honorable Dato highlighted the significance of formulating a strategic plan and policy for BIMP-EAGA that takes into account regional and global trends. This entails reinforcing collaboration and commitment towards realizing the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025 and beyond.
During the meeting, attention was given to the outcomes of the 31st Senior Official Meeting of BIMP-EAGA. Discussions encompassed the implementation of Rolling Pipelines of Projects for the period spanning 2023 to 2025, including the launch of a statistical website.
In addition, the meeting also undertook a comprehensive review of the memoranda of understanding concerning both land and sea transportation. This was done to ensure their alignment with current developments and to enhance collaboration with development partners.
Moreover, during the ministerial session, there was a positive reception of the initial findings of the study assessing the BIMP-EAGA Economic Corridors and the Joint BIMP-EAGA and Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Blue Economy Strategy for the year 2030. The meeting also observed the signing of the Letter of Intent (LoI) regarding the One Borneo Quarantine Initiative by high-ranking officials from BIMP-EAGA.
The meeting also acknowledged the recommendations stemming from the 5th Chief Ministers, Governors, and Local Government Forum (CMGLF). These recommendations encompassed the creation of a conducive environment for business progress, as well as the facilitation of intra- and extra-EAGA trade and investments. The agenda also included the reinforcement of public-private partnerships and the exchange of best governance practices. Additionally, the meeting explored the formalization of twinning agreements across EAGA to foster more robust people-to-people connections and other socio-economic activities.
It’s important to note that this meeting was preceded by the 31st Senior Official Meeting of BIMP-EAGA and the Joint Senior Officials Meeting of BIMP-EAGA with the People’s Republic of China, held on October 24 and 25, respectively.
