ASEAN elevates Turkey to Dialogue Partner status and designates Qatar and Germany as Sectoral Partners
Kuala Lumpur, July 22 (KUNA) -- Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Teresa Lazaro announced on Wednesday that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has adopted Turkey as its 12th Dialogue Partner, and designated Qatar and Germany as Sectoral Dialogue Partners. Lazaro, speaking in her capacity as chair of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, made the announcement following the conclusion of the plenary session of the ministerial meeting held in Manila.
Lazaro stated that this development “reflects the continued confidence of our partners in ASEAN,” adding that the Association views it as “a positive step toward realizing the aspirations outlined in the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.” She explained that ASEAN manages its external relations by granting countries the status of Dialogue Partner, Sectoral Dialogue Partner, or Development Partner, thereby enabling the expansion of cooperation with external countries and organizations across various fields.
She added that Germany’s designation as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner was in recognition of its role as one of ASEAN’s most important external partners and its demonstrated capacity and willingness to contribute more significantly to efforts to build the ASEAN Community. Similarly, Qatar’s designation as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner came in light of its growing engagement with ASEAN through diplomacy, development cooperation, humanitarian assistance, and other areas of collaboration.
Turkey had previously obtained Sectoral Dialogue Partner status with ASEAN in 2017, before being formally adopted today by member states as the Association’s 12th Dialogue Partner.
ASEAN currently comprises 11 member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
Following Turkey’s accession, the list of ASEAN Dialogue Partners includes Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The list of Sectoral Dialogue Partners comprises Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. The Development Partners list includes Chile, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Peru.
Dialogue Partners are countries or organizations that maintain a comprehensive and regular partnership with ASEAN, encompassing political, security, economic, social, and cultural dimensions, and participate in relevant foreign ministers’ meetings and summits. Sectoral Dialogue Partners are countries that maintain cooperative relations with ASEAN limited to specific sectors. Development Partners refer to countries or institutions that provide technical, financial, or capacity-building support for ASEAN projects and programs. (End)
