ASEAN Secretary General Kao stresses regional solidarity

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Jakarta (ANTARA) – ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn highlighted the need of its members to strengthen regional solidarity, resilience, and relevance as the organisation commemorates its 59th anniversary on Saturday (August 8).

“On this 59th ASEAN Day, we celebrate not only what ASEAN has achieved, but also the trust and confidence by continuing to work together, our community will remain relevant, resilient, peaceful, and stable for generations to come,” Kao stated in his ASEAN Day remarks at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.

The secretary general underscored the need to maintain ASEAN’s peace and stability, as well as commitment among its member states, by overcoming our differences, our challenges, and our difficulties.

Kao highlighted this year’s ASEAN Day as the very first time to be celebrated as a family of eleven member states with the accession of Timor Leste last year.

“Timor Leste’s accession marks the culmination of many years of partnership, progress, and preparation; also reflects ASEAN’s confidence that our community is stronger when it becomes more inclusive,” Kao stated.

The 59th ASEAN Day also marks the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), which has provided a steady foundation for inter-state relations in our region guided by mutual respect.

Along with the principles of territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, and renunciation of the use of violence; the treaty has guided the region’s dynamics amidst geopolitical and economic fragmentation for decades.

“They have enabled ASEAN to preserve peace, build trust, and maintain the stability that has underpinned our region’s remarkable growth,” he added.

Those principles matter, he added, as the world is becoming more volatile and unpredictable, with conflicts beyond Southeast Asia disrupting trade routes, driving up food and energy prices, and adding to uncertainty in the regional economy.

At the same time, strategic competition and changing patterns of trade and investment are reshaping global supply chains, creating both challenges and opportunities for the region.

“It reminded us how closely our prosperity is tied to developments way beyond our borders,” Kao said adding that efforts to mitigate climate change effects are equally important.

Hence, ASEAN must maintain unity, enhance its centrality, and work harder to overcome challenges in the spirit of solidarity.