ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat officially launches ASEAN Year 2025

On January 19, in Langkawi, Malaysia, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat took place, officially launching ASEAN Year 2025.

Hội nghị hẹp Bộ trưởng Ngoại giao ASEAN chính thức khởi động Năm ASEAN 2025

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat 2025 held in Langkawi, Malaysia. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

The conference is the first important activity of Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship year, chaired by Malaysian Foreign Minister Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan and attended by Foreign Ministers of member countries, ASEAN Secretary General and Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister as an observer. The Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, made many important contributions.

At the Conference, Malaysia introduced the orientation and focus of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2025 with the theme “Inclusive and Sustainable” to affirm the common determination of ASEAN countries to enhance self-reliance, sustainable development, leaving no one behind, promoting the central role, contributing to strengthening peace, stability and prosperity in the region through cooperation frameworks chaired by ASEAN. The above focuses are built on the basis of the key principles of the Malaysian Economic Framework (also known as Madani), including sustainability, sharing, respect, innovation, prosperity and trust.

Accordingly, Malaysia emphasized the priority of promoting peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region on the basis of promoting the central role in building strategic trust through dialogue and diplomacy. ASEAN will also prioritize strengthening economic connectivity, promoting trade and investment, and expanding relations with external partners to maintain growth and self-reliance. ASEAN needs to make sustainability and inclusiveness the central content of community-building efforts, thereby helping to narrow the gap, reduce inequality, improve people's lives and minimize the impacts of climate change. These priorities will be implemented synchronously, comprehensively and comprehensively by countries through ASEAN's cooperation mechanisms.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan stressed the priority of promoting peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region on the basis of promoting the central role in building strategic trust through dialogue and diplomacy. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

During the discussion at the Conference, the Ministers affirmed their support and close cooperation with Malaysia in implementing Malaysia's orientation and priorities in 2025, laying an important foundation for building the ASEAN Community in the next phase on the basis of implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and strategic plans on politics-security, economics, culture-society and connectivity.

At the same time, the countries stressed that ASEAN needs to continue to strengthen its solidarity, central role and strategic autonomy to respond to complex and unpredictable changes in the region and the world. Solidarity is the foundation for ASEAN's recent successes and will continue to be the driving force and key factor for ASEAN to overcome challenges in the coming development period. The countries also said that ASEAN needs to continue to increase efficiency and expand cooperation with partners, encourage partners to participate responsibly, contribute constructively and cooperate practically, and strengthen the regional structure that is open, transparent, inclusive and based on international law.

The meeting had in-depth discussions on international and regional issues, including the East Sea, Myanmar, the Korean Peninsula, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Middle East situation and emerging challenges. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to building a peaceful, stable and cooperative East Sea, towards finalizing a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, especially UNCLOS 1982. The meeting welcomed the appointment of Mr. Tan Sri Othman Hashim as the ASEAN Chair's Special Envoy for Myanmar in 2025, and affirmed their commitment to continue implementing the Five-Point Consensus and the ASEAN Leaders' Decisions on Myanmar and enhancing humanitarian assistance.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Foreign Ministers of member countries, ASEAN Secretary-General and Timor-Leste Foreign Minister pose for a group photo at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat 2025 in Langkawi, Malaysia. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

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