Jakarta. ASEAN leaders signed the so-called Kuala Lumpur Declaration at the Malaysian capital on Monday as the bloc pursues greater regional integration as the world economy becomes more divided.

Kuala Lumpur is currently hosting the 46th ASEAN Summit with President Prabowo Subianto and his Southeast Asian counterparts in attendance. The meeting resulted in the so-called Kuala Lumpur Declaration: a twelve-point document that will guide the group’s future directions over the next two decades. This declaration, alongside a separate document called the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, will build what the 10-member grouping calls a “shared future”. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that ASEAN had signed similar documents in the past that proved the group was an "anchor of stability" and "rising center of economic gravity".

“Today, the international order is unsettled. Geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, climate, and technological disruptions are testing the bonds between nations. These same technologies carry risks. Left unmanaged, they may deepen inequality, displace livelihoods, and outpace our rules,” Anwar told the forum, as seen in a live broadcast by RTVMalacanang.

In response to these challenges, Anwar also called for innovations and a people-centered integration within ASEAN. He added: "That means closing development gaps, raising the standards of living, and investing in the human spirit and potential of all our citizens."

As for the aforementioned 2045 community vision document, Malaysian state-run news agency Bernama reported that this blueprint encompassed various aspects. In the economic sphere, ASEAN had agreed to become a major global economic powerhouse and a seamlessly integrated single market. ASEAN also wants this market integration to be based on sustainability, good governance, and technology.

The summit will go on until Tuesday. Anwar had kicked off the plenary session by bringing the forum’s attention to, among others, the tariff threats made by the US. He admitted to having asked US President Donald Trump to agree to a meeting with ASEAN. Malaysia currently assumes the group’s rotating chairmanship and will pass the baton to the Philippines next year.