ASEAN Foreign Ministers Conclude Meetings with Regional Agreements and New Partnerships
Kuala Lumpur, July 24 (KUNA) -- The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) concluded their meetings today in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, by adopting new regional agreements, expanding the association’s partnerships, and reaffirming their positions on key security, political, and economic issues.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Teresa Lazaro, whose country holds the ASEAN chairmanship, said at a press conference that the ASEAN foreign ministers, during their 59th meeting and related sessions spanning four days, approved a joint statement outlining the member states’ unified positions on regional and international issues facing the association.
She added that the ministers approved guidelines governing ASEAN’s communication mechanisms with parties to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, accepted Turkey as the association’s 12th dialogue partner, and granted sectoral dialogue partner status to Germany and Qatar.
Lazaro noted that ASEAN also held meetings with Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, and Brazil, reflecting growing interest from external countries in developing political, economic, and security cooperation with Southeast Asian nations.
She further mentioned that the ministers welcomed the United Kingdom’s participation as the 28th participant in the Regional Forum, which serves as a platform for political and security dialogue between ASEAN member states and their partners from Asia, Europe, and North America. The meetings also included the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which brings together ASEAN members with China, Japan, and South Korea.
Additionally, the ministers held the 16th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, where they discussed geopolitical tensions, cross-border challenges, and preparations for the 21st East Asia Summit, to be hosted by the Philippines next November.
Regarding the crisis in Myanmar, Lazaro stated that ASEAN foreign ministers reiterated that the “Five-Point Consensus” remains the association’s primary framework for addressing the crisis and urging the parties toward a peaceful resolution.
On developments in the Middle East, she said that the foreign ministers issued a statement expressing “deep concern” over the situation there, calling on all parties to exercise “the highest degree of restraint” and avoid any steps that could exacerbate the conflict, while emphasizing the importance of respecting international law and resorting to dialogue and diplomacy.
ASEAN was established in 1967 and comprises 11 member states: the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste. The association seeks to enhance political, security, and economic cooperation and to consolidate stability and dialogue among regional countries and their external partners. (End)
