1. I chaired the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on 17-18 January 2019 in Chiang Mai. The Retreat is the first gathering of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers under Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2019 with the theme, “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability”, which the Foreign Ministers welcomed.
2. We had fruitful discussions on ASEAN’s priorities for the year ahead, as well as exchange of views on regional and international developments. We discussed the way forward for ASEAN Community-building, the strengthening of ASEAN partnerships with external partners and the international community, and the reinforcing of the ASEAN-centred regional architecture. We underscored the importance of implementing effectively the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and its various Blueprints, as well as ASEAN agreements in force in order to maintain strong momentum in building a people-centred ASEAN Community that leaves no one behind, and looks to the future. As the Asia-Pacific continues to witness continued change and uncertainty, we believed that ASEAN needs to not only maintain its unity and centrality but also enhance ASEAN’s strategic value added, in order to remain a driving force for key developments in our region.
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- ABOUT ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.Menu - WHAT WE DO
ASEAN organs always strive to achieve ASEAN’s goals and objectives, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat shall be functioned as coordinating Secretariat to help facilitate effective decision-making withing and amongst ASEAN bodies. In addition, each Member State shall appoint a Permanent Representative to liaise with Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat
Menu - WHO WE WORK WITH
ASEAN shall develop friendly relations and mutually beneficial dialogues, cooperation and partnerships with countries and sub-regional, regional and international organisations and institutions. This includes external partners, ASEAN entities, human rights bodies, non-ASEAN Member States Ambassadors to ASEAN, ASEAN committees in third countries and international organisations, as well as international / regional organisations.
Menu - OUR COMMUNITIES
The rodmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015) was declared by the leaders in 2009. The ASEAN Community, anchored on three community pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community was launched in 2015. The ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together was introduced in 2015 as a Post-2015 Vision. It comprises the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025
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