On 8 October, at the National Convention Center, Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, led the 28th ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting, focusing on regional security, cooperation, and the implementation of the APSC Blueprint 2025.
The meeting, under the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”, saw attendance by ASEAN Foreign Ministers, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, the Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste, and other ASEAN delegates.
The council reviewed the progress of the APSC Blueprint 2025, noting that 99.6 percent of its action lines have been successfully implemented. However, there remains one key action line that still needs to be addressed and completed before 2025.
The meeting highlighted Laos’s achievements as ASEAN Chair in 2024, including the successful activities of key ASEAN bodies under the APSC pillar. These included the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM), the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM).
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and other APSC mechanisms also played a crucial role in driving progress. Additionally, the meeting acknowledged the 2023 annual report from the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation.
Another major event was the 35th ASEAN Coordinating Council meeting, which reviewed Timor-Leste’s roadmap to full ASEAN membership. At this meeting, 13 key reports on regional integration were adopted to enhance connectivity within the region. The council also approved essential documents for the upcoming 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits.
The discussions further explored ASEAN’s three community pillars, with a focus on strengthening connectivity and resilience. Reports from the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Integration Task Force, and the ASEAN Smart Cities Network were reviewed and adopted.
Lastly, the meeting confirmed the nomination of Myanmar’s San Lwin as Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community for the 2024-2027 term. The meeting concluded with an emphasis on ASEAN’s commitment to deeper integration and stronger regional cooperation.
