Opening of the 49th Meeting of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI 49)
On the morning of February 26, 2026, the 49th Meeting of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI 49) took place in Iloilo, Philippines, to discuss the ASEAN economic integration progress and how to implement the ASEAN Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) proposed by the Philippines for its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, and the preparations for the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Retreat scheduled for mid-March 2026.
The meeting was chaired by the Philippine Undersecretary of Trade and Industry, Allan Gepty, and attended by Deputy Minister level/Senior Economic Officials (SEOM) from the 11 ASEAN Member States. The Vietnamese delegation attending the Meeting was led by the SEOM Lead of Viet Nam (Multilateral Trade Policy Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade), along with representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Vietnam Trade Office in the Philippines.
Opening Ceremony of the 49th Session of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration
HLTF-EI is an annual meeting at Deputy Ministerial level of ASEAN, usually held twice a year, to discuss strategic, cross-cutting issues related to ASEAN's long-term economic integration orientation, addressing issues beyond the purview of SEOM or sectoral bodies, coordinating the PED of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year, and discussing issues related to institutional reform and the operational mechanisms of the AEC. From this, recommendations are made to be submitted to the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) and the ASEAN Economic Community Council for consideration and decision.
The HLTF-EI Task Force was established in 2000 as decided by the ASEAN Economic Ministers, in the context of ASEAN promoting deeper liberalization and economic integration following the Asian financial crisis. To date, the HLTF-EI Task Force has participated in and played the central role in the development of the Roadmap for the Formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC); the 2015 and 2025 AEC Blueprints; and the Strategic Plan for the AEC 2026–2030 period. It can be said that the HLTF-EI is the “policy architect” behind the major advances in ASEAN economic integration.
The HLTF-EI 49 is scheduled to take place on February 26 and 27, 2026, to discuss such issues as: reforming and streamlining the AEC meeting mechanism; the ERIA study on non-tariff barriers (NTBs); exchanges on economic security and geoeconomic issues; discussions on the monitoring and evaluation mechanism for AEC implementation; coordination between intra-ASEAN integration and external economic relations; and preparation for the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Retreat (AEC) to be held in mid-March 2026.
