Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Political-Security Community, H.E. Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz, attended the Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting 2025 held in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, on 30 October 2025. The Meeting focused on ways APEC economies can utilise innovation and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen regional supply chain resilience and promote sustainable and inclusive growth amidst global disruptions.

In her intervention, Dato’ Astanah emphasised that the Asia-Pacific region is standing at a defining moment of transformation and stressed that technological advancement must go hand in hand with inclusion, trust, and sustainability. She reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to an open, inclusive, and rules-based multilateral trading system, as well as strengthening economic resilience through partnership and innovation. Dato’ Astanah also highlighted the importance of deepening ASEAN-APEC cooperation for a prosperous and future-ready region.

The ASEAN Secretariat is one of the official observers of APEC, alongside the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretariat. The ASEAN Secretariat has participated as an official observer since the first APEC Ministerial Meeting held in Canberra, Australia, in 1989.

photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Republic of Korea