Abstract
The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related meetings were held from October 6 to 11, 2024, in Vientiane, Laos, under the theme ‘Strengthening Connectivity and Resilience’.
Key meetings included the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits, the 12th ASEAN-U.S. Summit, the 27th ASEAN-China Summit, the 27th ASEAN-Japan Summit, the 25th ASEAN-Korea Summit, the 4th ASEAN-Australia Summit, the 21st ASEAN-India Summit, the 14th ASEAN-United Nations Summit, the 27th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, and the 19th East Asia Summit. Major declarations issued during the summits included: The ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the Development and Implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 Strategic Plan; The ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the AOIP—Towards a Future-Ready ASEAN and ASEAN-Centric Regional Architecture; The Review and Resolution of ASEAN Leaders on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus and The ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Strengthening Supply Chain Connectivity
In contrast to the previous summit, which emphasized ASEAN’s leadership mechanisms and the mainstreaming of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) amidst a volatile regional landscape, this year’s discussions continued these themes but saw limited progress. While the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea reaffirmed their collaborative intentions in AOIP’s four priority areas, no significant new documents were produced, except for the upgrade of ASEAN-South Korea relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
On economic recovery, ASEAN focused on advancing regional economic integration through initiatives like the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 and the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) upgrade negotiations, with hopes to finalize the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) by 2025. Additionally, supply chain stability and resilience were key topics, reflected in the issuance of related statements. However, progress on pressing issues such as the Myanmar crisis remained stagnant under Laos’ chairmanship. The effectiveness of Malaysia, one of ASEAN’s leading nations, in addressing these challenges during its 2025 chairmanship remains to be seen.
Comments