13th ASEAN Finance Ministers’ & Central Bank Governors’ Meeting

YB Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Minister of Finance II led Malaysia’s delegation at the 13th ASEAN Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting (AFMGM) alongside YBhg. Dato’ Sri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia as Head of Delegation for Malaysia’s central bank. Hosted virtually by the Philippines, the meetings focused on the theme "Navigating Our Future, Together". The session concluded with a joint commitment to maintaining regional macroeconomic stability, advancing digital transformation, and promoting inclusive growth across the ASEAN bloc.

Significant financial milestones were reached, including the endorsement of a proposed USD30 billion facility by the Asian Development Bank for 2026-2030 to support the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. ASEAN Member States also welcomed the re-establishment of the ASEAN Swap Arrangement to strengthen the regional financial safety net and noted a robust USD19.4 billion pipeline for sustainable projects under the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility.

Additionally, the launch of the Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) for Energy was recognised as a vital step toward securing the ASEAN Power Grid.

The AFMGM leveraged high-level exchanges with the United States Treasury, Australian Treasury, the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC), EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC), UK-ASEAN Business Council (UK-ABC) and TheCityUK, as well as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank (WB) to navigate a challenging global landscape marked by Middle East instability, economic fragmentation, and debt risks. Malaysia reaffirmed its dedication to deepening regional financial integration to safeguard economic resilience.

By prioritising sustainable capital markets and regional payment connectivity, ASEAN aims to fortify its position against global trade risks and energy fluctuations.