He was visiting Jakarta to meet ASEAN partners to advance cooperation on the shared priorities of security, stability and prosperity.

Total UK-ASEAN trade in goods and services was worth £46.5 billion at the end of 2022.

Later this month, the United Kingdom will begin its formal accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), further strengthening British trade and investment links in the region, an official release said.

“The UK and ASEAN are working together to deliver the Plan of Action 2022 to 2026 to improve lives across the region, such as ensuring girls across southeast Asia can access quality education. This is in addition to UK work in the wider Indo-Pacific, such as the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia programme, which is upgrading homes and infrastructure to withstand the impacts of climate change,” Cleverly said ahead of the visit.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)