The European Union (EU) expects the first round of negotiations on resuming the Malaysia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA) to take place before summer or in the second half of 2025, says Niclas Kvarnström, the European External Action Service’s managing director for Asia and the Pacific. He said both sides, the EU and Malaysia, are currently finalizing internal preparations. “The relaunch of Malaysia-EU trade negotiations is of particular importance in the current context of geopolitical tensions that disrupt trade flows and supply chains globally. “The EU aims to develop trade partnerships with trusted partners with whom it shares fundamental values and common interests,” he told Bernama in an interview at the EU Delegation office here today.  In January, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced the resumption of MEUFTA negotiations during a meeting in Brussels. Talks initially began in 2010 but stalled in 2012 due to Malaysia’s concerns over the EU’s palm oil procurement policies, subsidies, and sustainability clauses. Expanding on the negotiations, Kvarnström said the EU and Malaysia shared a commitment to rules-based international order, economic openness, sustainable development, and regional stability. (ICE KUALA LUMPUR)

Fonte notizia: 20 marzo, Kuala Lumpur