Today marked a significant milestone in the journey of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) in 2024, as we witnessed the CPR Chairmanship Handover Ceremony from Lao PDR to Malaysia. Malaysia will officially assume the role of the ASEAN Chair, starting on 1 January 2025.

At the Ceremony, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, along with Ambassador Bovonethat Douangchak, Permanent Representative of Lao PDR to ASEAN, as the outgoing Chair of the CPR, and Ambassador Sarah Al Bakri Devadason, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to ASEAN, as the incoming Chair, delivered remarks. In his remarks, SG Dr. Kao commended the CPR for their hard work and unwavering commitment to ensuring the progress of ASEAN Community building and to strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat. He congratulated Lao PDR for its successful ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024 under the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience,” and reaffirmed the ASEAN Secretariat’s full support for Malaysia as ASEAN Chair in 2025 under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”

Download the full remarks of SG Dr. Kao here.