49th AMM opens

The 49^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting opens this morning at the National Convention Center in Vientiane. After the opening ceremony, the Foreign Ministers of 10 ASEAN countries will proceed to the Plenary Session at noon and the Retreat Session in the afternoon. The agenda of the meetings has been discussed over the past 3 days.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers will talk about priorities for cooperation within the ASEAN and between its partners. The ASEAN is now focusing on the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, in connection with the United Nations 2030 Agenda on sustainable development.

external relations, the ASEAN is stressing regional cooperation in solving current peace and security issues. One of the main priorities for the ASEAN now is to strengthen its solidarity, unity, and central role in the region.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers are expected to adopt several notable documents, including the 49^th AMM Statement, the Statement on the 40^th Anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, as well as the ASEAN-China joint statement on the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties the East Sea.