Member states agree to strengthen ASEAN centrality

KUALA LUMPUR: ASEAN member states agreed to strengthen the regional bloc's centrality by promoting strategic trust among nations through dialogues, diplomacy and goodwill.
According to the chairman's statement issued today following the conclusion of the 46th ASEAN Summit, they also emphasised the importance of further enhancing the bloc's external relations and expanding its mutually beneficial partnerships in the region and beyond.
'We reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN's centrality and unity in shaping a peaceful, stable and inclusive regional architecture.
'We stressed the need to strengthen strategic trust and mutual confidence among ASEAN member states and external partners through dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international laws, while deepening ASEAN's external engagements through mutually beneficial partnerships,' the statement read.
The statement noted that ASEAN leaders underscored the importance of deeper economic integration and intra-ASEAN trade and investment flows, with a focus on inclusive, resilient and sustainable growth.
In this regard, they agreed to advance cooperation in areas such as green finance, sustainable investment, digital transformation and supply chain connectivity, to ensure ASEAN's competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global economy.
Held under the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', this year's summit marks Malaysia's fifth time chairing ASEAN, following its leadership in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.
In conjunction with the summit, two major engagements — the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit — will be held to further strengthen ASEAN's strategic inter-regional partnerships.

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