KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN Cooperative Dialogue (ACD) 2025 aims to strengthen cooperatives' role as drivers of regional economic and social development, focusing on building a more inclusive, progressive, and resilient ASEAN cooperative ecosystem.
Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (Angkasa) president Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fattah Abdullah, who also serves as the ASEAN Cooperative Organisation (ACO) president said that the programme, scheduled to take place from May 12 to 14, serves as a strategic platform for ASEAN countries to discuss policies, cooperation opportunities, and shared challenges in the cooperative sector.
He said one of the main objectives of ACD 2025 is to elevate cooperatives to the status of economic entities equal to those of other sectors.
“Cooperatives have long been associated primarily with the agriculture sector. We want to expand their role into other strategic sectors such as finance, tourism, renewable energy, property, and digitalisation," he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara programme tonight.
Abdul Fattah also said the dialogue aims to harmonise cooperative regulations and laws across ASEAN countries to facilitate business movement between cooperatives and accelerate the sector's development.
"ACD 2025 will formulate a joint resolution that will be presented to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and subsequently brought to the ASEAN Summit, with the hope of receiving formal recognition from the region's top leaders," he said.
According to him, the dialogue will bring together cooperative leaders across ASEAN, including representatives from additional countries such as China, India, and Japan.
He said a delegation from Saudi Arabia was also expected to attend, reflecting the Islamic world's openness to collaborative partnerships.
"Additionally, local cooperatives participating in the programme will benefit from opportunities for exposure. At the same time, we will organise a showcase for products, particularly those from Malaysian cooperatives," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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