Published: 15:57, October 14, 2024
ASEAN hailed for fostering development
By Yang Han in Vientiane

Bloc summits in Laos explore ways to enhance connectivity amid challenges 

Leaders pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct 9, 2024. (PHOTO / REUTERS)

The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits officially opened on Oct 9 in Vientiane, with regional leaders and officials discussing ways to enhance the bloc’s connectivity and resilience amid geopolitical challenges.

During the opening ceremony, Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has made achievements in fostering peace, stability, and prosperity across Southeast Asia, providing a favorable environment for socioeconomic development in member states.

As the regional and international environments are undergoing rapid and complex changes, Thongloun said ASEAN must continue to uphold its common cause of peace, stability, and sustainable development, as well as its commitment to multilateralism based on equality and mutual benefit.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, as the ASEAN chair, underscored the importance of enhancing connectivity and resilience to strengthen ASEAN Community building.

Laos chose “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience” as the theme for its ASEAN chairmanship this year. Major documents deliberated at the meetings in Vientiane included the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the Development of Strategic Plans to Implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific for the Future-Ready ASEAN and ASEAN-Centered Regional Architecture, and ASEAN Leaders’ Review and Decisions on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus that was reached in 2021 for a peaceful solution to the Myanmar crisis.

Aung Kyaw Moe, permanent secretary of Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the gathering, the first time the country has sent a representative to the summits since the military took power in 2021.

Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Xanana Gusmao also attended the summits as ASEAN is working to grant the country full membership in the near future.

Besides reviewing the achievements the bloc has made so far and charting out future directions, the meeting also discussed ASEAN’s relations with external partners, including its future directions.

“Laos, like other ASEAN members, seeks to reinforce the idea that ASEAN should remain a platform for open dialogue and cooperation, ensuring that no external pressures divide the region,” said Souliya Mounnarath, head of the International Cooperation Division, International Relations Office at the National University of Laos.

This summit is a reminder that ASEAN’s strength lies in its cohesion, resilience and ability to foster constructive engagement between all global powers, she said.

As Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended a series of ASEAN-related summit meetings, Souliya said China plays a pivotal role in promoting connectivity and resilience within the region, with the China-Laos railway, a project under the Belt and Road Initiative, exemplifying the type of connectivity that can enhance trade, mobility, and regional integration.

The summits hosted by Laos show the enduring nature of the ASEAN Way, which means that ASEAN countries have their own cultural inclinations of avoiding direct confrontations and opting for corridors and low-key diplomacy, said Lim Tai Wei, an adjunct senior research fellow at the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore.

The meetings concluded on Oct 11, with Laos passing the ASEAN chairmanship to Malaysia.

kelly@chinadailyapac.com