ASEANEWS-ASEAN F.M. Retreat | ASEAN 2025: Malaysia’s Foreign Minister chairs Langkawi AMM Retreat

Malaysia’s ASEAN SOM Leader and Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin chaired the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in conjunction with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM) 2025 in Langkawi. PHOTO: BERNAMA

.

.

LANGKAWI (BERNAMA) — Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is set to chair the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) on Sunday in Langkawi, Kedah.

The AMM Retreat is the first scheduled meeting in the annual ASEAN calendar at the ministerial level under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025.

This meeting, to be held at the Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC), brings together the foreign ministers and senior officials of all the 10 ASEAN Member States. The Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste will participate as an ASEAN Observer.

Also in attendance will be a representative from Myanmar and the ASEAN Secretary-General.

The retreat will see Malaysia present the priority areas and deliverables for its chairmanship under the theme of ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, focused on strengthening the ASEAN Community through the three pillars: political-security, economic, and socio-cultural.

.

“This will reflect Malaysia’s objective of fostering a more integrated, inclusive and sustainable ASEAN, while enhancing regional peace, stability and prosperity,” said a statement issued by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.

The retreat will also discuss ASEAN’s strategic direction and ASEAN’s external relations. It will review follow-up actions on the decisions made by ASEAN Leaders during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits, held in Vientiane, Laos, in October 2024.

Additionally, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers will exchange views on current developments in regional and international issues, including the crisis in Myanmar, geopolitical tensions and other challenges affecting regional peace and stability.

Ahead of the AMM Retreat, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry Secretary-General and ASEAN Malaysia Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) Leader, Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin, said the Myanmar crisis and tensions in the South China Sea will be discussed at the meeting.

The Myanmar issue centres on the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis following the 2021 military coup, which has strained ASEAN’s unity and challenged its principles of non-interference and consensus in addressing regional stability and human rights.

The South China Sea issue revolves around overlapping territorial and maritime claims among several ASEAN member states and China, creating tensions over sovereignty, resource exploitation and freedom of navigation in the region.

In defining Malaysia’s role as the ASEAN Chair, Chairman of independent think tank EMIR Research, Datuk Dr Rais Hussin, said Malaysia must focus on fostering unity while respecting member nations’ sovereignty and diverse interests.

“This aligns with Malaysia’s ‘MADANI’ vision, which champions inclusivity, integrity and equitable participation, said Rais, an expert on regional policy.

.

“This resonates with ASEAN’s foundational principle of ‘Unity in Diversity’, he added.

Rais noted that Malaysia should continue to foster balanced relationships with all major and middle powers, reflecting ASEAN’s principle of neutrality.

“By doing so, Malaysia can help mitigate geopolitical rivalries and maintain ASEAN’s centrality in the regional architecture,” he said.

Malaysia officially assumed the chairmanship of the ASEAN 2025 on January 1, the fifth time it has led the regional grouping since its establishment in 1967.

Over 300 key meetings and programmes are scheduled to take place across the country throughout the year.

Malaysia has previously chaired ASEAN in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.

.

Ads by: Memento Maxima Digital Marketing @[email protected] SPACE RESERVE FOR ADVERTISEMENT

It's only fair to share...