ASEAN-Switzerland Pushes Stronger Trade Ties Amid Global Uncertainty

RRI.CO.ID, Manila – ASEAN and Switzerland have stressed the importance of strengthening their economic partnership and trade relations amid rising geopolitical tensions and growing global economic uncertainty. The statement was made during the Fifth ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Troika Open-ended Dialogue with Switzerland held in Manila, the Philippines, on Sunday, September 20, 2026.

The meeting, co-chaired by Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Ma. Cristina A. Roque and Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs Helene Budliger Artieda, discussed regional and global economic developments. In a joint statement, ASEAN and Switzerland noted that rising geopolitical tensions, including unilateral trade measures and regional conflicts, could undermine the rules-based international order.

The Middle East crisis was also noted to have increased volatility in global energy markets, including through disruptions to oil and gas supply chains. The situation has affected businesses, heightened inflationary pressures, and created an increasingly unpredictable operating environment, particularly for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Both sides stressed the growing importance of strengthening the ASEAN-Switzerland economic partnership, including by encouraging greater engagement from Swiss private-sector businesses in ASEAN and promoting deeper and more resilient supply chain integration. ASEAN and Switzerland also reaffirmed their commitment to engaging with all trading partners to address legitimate trade concerns in a balanced and forward-looking manner and to refrain from unilateral measures that could further destabilize global economic conditions.

At the meeting, ASEAN and Switzerland also reaffirmed their commitment to an open, predictable, transparent, free, fair, inclusive, sustainable, and rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core.

Both sides took note of the outcomes of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from March 26-29, 2026. ASEAN and Switzerland underscored the urgency of meaningful and comprehensive WTO reform, including reform of the dispute settlement system.

The meeting also welcomed the finalization of the ASEAN-EFTA Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation (JDC) Workplan 2026-2030 as an important step toward strengthening economic relations between ASEAN an