OPENING REMARKS (AEM’s CHAIR)
4TH AEM TROIKA OPEN-ENDED DIALOGUE WITH SWITZERLAND TRADE MINISTER BREAKFAST MEETING
26 SEPTEMBER 2025 (FRIDAY)
0800 – 0900
THE GALLERY, LEVEL 1A
MITEC
Excellency Helene Budliger Artieda, State Secretary for Economic Affairs,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of my ASEAN colleagues, I am pleased to welcome Her Excellency Helene Budliger and the Swiss delegation to Kuala Lumpur for the 4th AEM-Troika Open-Ended Meeting with Switzerland. It is an honour to host you, and I look forward to a constructive exchange to further strengthen ASEAN-Switzerland economic relations.
Switzerland remains a constructive and reliable partner of ASEAN. Our engagement has deepened through initiatives such as the ASEAN–EFTA Joint Declaration on Cooperation and sectoral projects on trade facilitation, standards, and sustainable development. In 2024, our two-way trade stood at USD 28.33 billion, underscoring the strong demand in ASEAN for Swiss products and technologies in high-value sectors.
While recent investment flows reflect portfolio realignments, Switzerland remains as an important source of high-quality, innovation-driven investment, offering clear opportunities in advanced manufacturing, life sciences, green technologies, and financial services. Equally encouraging, more than 450,000 Swiss visitors travelled to ASEAN in 2024, strengthening people-to-people ties.
Taken together, these developments reaffirm the value of our partnership. Today’s discussions on reviewing progress, exchanging views, and charting future directions, are timely as we navigate global uncertainties while pursuing sustainable and inclusive growth.
With that, I would like to invite Excellency Helene Budliger Artieda to deliver your opening remarks.
Thank you.
--BERNAMA