At the invitation of H.E. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thongsalith Mangnormek, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Sports of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, will lead the ASEAN Secretariat’s delegation to participate in the 22nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation (AMMSTI-22), to be held in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on 26 June 2026. During the meeting, the Ministers will endorse a landmark restructuring of the ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology and Innovation (COSTI) sub-committee framework from nine to five focused sub-committees, strengthening regional Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) governance, enhancing strategic alignment with ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI), and enabling impactful delivery of ASEAN STI priorities. The Ministers will also launch of the ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Fund (ASTIF) Call 2026, a strategic milestone toward building an inclusive and future-ready regional innovation ecosystem. Anchored on the theme “Advancing ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) for a Resilient, Sustainable and Competitive ASEAN,” AMMSTI will set out how resources and partnerships can be mobilised to support an innovation-driven, resilient, sustainable and competitive ASEAN towards the global issue and to advance long-term competitiveness in strategic technologies. On the sidelines of the AMMSTI-22, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn will hold a number of bilateral meetings with ministers from various ASEAN Member States.
- 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, Cambodia on 30 April 1999, and Timor-Leste on 26 October 2025 making up what is today the eleven Member States of ASEAN.
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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
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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.
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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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