UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s Recent Visit to Asia: Marking Britain’s Commitment in UK-ASEAN Engagement

In July 2025, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy completed his fifth trip to the Indo-Pacific. On this occasion, he visited Malaysia and Singapore, reinforcing Britain’s long-term commitment to ASEAN and deepening bilateral partnerships in trade, innovation, and sustainability.

During the first leg of his trip, the Foreign Secretary attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AFMM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His participation affirmed the UK’s role as an active Dialogue Partner and the country’s commitment in supporting regional initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid and digital infrastructure development. On this occasion, the Foreign Secretary spoke with Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Wisma Putra Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan about boosting trade between the UK and Malaysia and discussed issues such as irregular migration and the climate crisis.

In Singapore, the Foreign Secretary met with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to mark 60 years of the country’s diplomatic relations with the UK. He underlined the importance of the bilateral ties with Singapore and “Investing in our friendships, making them resilient and focused on the future.” The partnership is growing stronger with over 6,000 British entities in Singapore and close collaboration on digital trade, responsible AI and emerging technologies.

UKABC remains committed to strengthening these relationships as a close partner to UK and Southeast Asian governments and the ASEAN Secretariat, through our strong links that spans across both regions. UKABC is a formal member of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council’s Joint Business Council (JBC), with an active role in addressing key issues facing the region as the official representative of UK Business in the annual ASEAN Economic Ministers – UK Consultative Meeting.

Please click here to view our upcoming agenda in Southeast Asia.