Joint Statement from the 13th BIMP-EAGA Summit

Leaders of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines met in Bangkok, Thailand on 23 June 2019 for the 13th BIMP-EAGA Summit.

Launched in 1994, BIMP-EAGA celebrated its 25th year in 2019.

At the Summit, Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reviewed the progress made through regional cooperation and discussed plans in transforming BIMP-EAGA into a more resilient, inclusive, sustainable, and economically competitive subregion.

The leaders of the four countries noted the economic expansion of BIMP-EAGA over the last 25 years. In 2017, the subregion’s gross domestic product reached $287.3 billion and an annual growth rate of 5.7%. Continued investments in regional infrastructure is helping the subregion become a trade, investment, and tourism hub.

The BIMP-EAGA leaders committed to transforming the subregion’s transport networks into economic corridors and advancing area-based cooperation in priority points along the corridors. They asked state and local governments, the private sector, and local communities to support economic corridor development by identifying investment needs and opportunities in priority areas to ensure long-term social, environmental, and economic benefits.