‘6 countries, 1 destination' plan will take time, says Tok Mat
KUALA LUMPUR : Proposed enhancements to land and tourism connectivity among member states under the Asean Connectivity Strategic Plan are part of a long-term initiative, foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said today.
Mohamad outlined Malaysia's aspirations for a more connected Asean, with easier travel between member countries as part of a campaign known as 'Six Countries, One Destination' proposed by Thailand.
'We want to make Asean a large community, a community with excellent connectivity, in terms of both its road networks and tourism,' he told the Dewan Rakyat.
He cited the system in Europe as an example, where EU citizens can travel within the Schengen Area without a passport, using only their national ID cards.
'We hope that one day Asean will become like Europe, where all European countries are integrated, and there's no need for passport checks. You can travel within Europe to France, Belgium, Holland, without immigration checks anymore.'
However, Mohamad said these aspirations would likely take time.
'This plan requires considerations such as customs, immigration,' he said.
'This is what we want to do, but it is still a long way off.'
He added that Asean's current focus was on strengthening the bloc's economy.
'Our main priority now is to expand the economy, especially trade between Asean countries,' Mohamad said.
'We want to have a short-term outlook on the economy, to assess how successful we can be and how far we can reach our goals.'
Malaysia is the Asean chair for 2025, leading regional efforts to enhance cooperation and integration among member states.
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