At the invitation of H.E. Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Chair of the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting for 2025, and Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will lead the delegation of the ASEAN Secretariat to participate in the 31st AEM Retreat, scheduled to be held in Johor, Malaysia, on 28 February 2025. This year’s Retreat will consider and discuss Malaysia’s Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) for its Chairmanship in 2025 under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” as well as a number of key initiatives to further integrate ASEAN’s economy, including the ongoing negotiations for the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) upgrade and ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), as well as Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN economic agreements, among others. The Retreat will also include an open session with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and McKinsey.
- 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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