Vientiane recently hosted the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and other related gatherings. From 24-27 July, the event, led by Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Saleumxay Kommasith, encompassed a series of discussions, bilateral talks, and strategic agreements, underscoring the region’s commitment to unity and progress.
Strengthening Regional Bonds
During the AMM, 25 ministerial meetings took place, focusing on critical areas such as regional community building, economic integration, and security. The foreign ministers reviewed advancements in ASEAN’s strategic plans, including the forthcoming ASEAN Community Vision 2045, slated for adoption next year. The plan aims to enhance regional integration, economic cooperation, political stability, socio-cultural development, sustainability, and innovation, ensuring a cohesive and resilient Southeast Asian community.
Another key outcome of the AMM was the reaffirmation of the commitment to engage nuclear-armed states—China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US—in acceding to the Protocol to the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ).
Expanding Alliances
Additionally, Timor-Leste’s accession to this treaty was approved, marking a step towards its full ASEAN membership, as it is currently an observer.
Discussions also covered major global issues, including the situation in Myanmar, the Korean peninsula, the South China Sea, Ukraine, and the Middle East. The ministers emphasized the importance of reinforcing ASEAN unity and centrality in dealings with external partners, aiming to foster mutual trust and create an inclusive regional architecture centered around ASEAN.
The AMM also noted growing interest from non-regional countries in joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). Algeria, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, and Mexico are among the nations anticipated to accede to the treaty soon.
Building Strategic Partnerships
The ASEAN foreign ministers engaged in 11 Post-Ministerial Conferences with their counterparts from dialogue partners, including Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These meetings reviewed cooperative progress across various sectors, including trade, investment, connectivity, food and energy security, youth, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
The discussions highlighted significant anniversaries, such as the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue relations and the establishment of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership.
Several key documents were also adopted, including the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2025-2029) and joint statements with China, Russia, the UK, and South Korea on various strategic partnerships.
Mekong Cooperation
Laos, in collaboration with Japan, South Korea, and the US, hosted three key ministerial meetings under the Mekong framework.
These included the 15th Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 12th Mekong-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the 3rd Mekong-US Partnership Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The focus was on reviewing past cooperation and discussing future collaboration directions.
As the meetings concluded, Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay expressed gratitude to all participants and the media, encouraging them to explore Laos further during their stay. He stated that these successful outcomes set the stage for the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits, scheduled for October in Vientiane.
This year, Laos has assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship for the third time, under the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience.”
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Additional reporting by Phonethida Sitthixay
