1. The Fourth ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) – the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) Consultation was held on the 19th September 2024. The Consultation was co-chaired by H.E. Malaithong KOMMASITH, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR, and the Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP Minister of State for the Department for Business and Trade of the UK. The Meeting also welcomed the participation of H.E. Filipus Nino Pereira, Minister of Commerce and Industry, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as an observer.
2. The Meeting was pleased to note that according to ASEAN’s preliminary statistics, two-way merchandise trade between ASEAN and the UK reached USD 35 billion in 2023, while foreign direct investment (FDI) from UK to ASEAN amounted to USD 2.1 billion. The Meeting also recognised that the UK was ASEAN’s 12th largest trading partner for merchandise trade and the 11th largest source of FDI inflow to ASEAN in 2023.

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