Press Conference

by H.E. Saleumxay KOMMASITH,

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR

29 January 2024, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR

- Good afternoon,

- Members of the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen,

• It is my pleasure to hold this press conference to share with you on the outcome of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat), which was recently concluded with fruitful outcome.

• The AMM Retreat is the first Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers under Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2024 with the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”.

• It is my great honor and pleasure to chair the AMM Retreat this morning.

• In the meeting, we had a candid and fruitful discussion on a number of issues related to the ASEAN Community Building, including the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, priorities for the Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship and ASEAN’s external relations, and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern.

• Next, I will share with you the outcome of our discussion and also the views shared on regional and international issues.

On the ASEAN Community building, especially the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025

• The Ministers acknowledged the good progress made in the implementation of the ASEAN Community Blueprints thus far and reaffirmed their commitment to the effective implementation and realisation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, including the three ASEAN Community Blueprints, Masterplan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 (MPAC) and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan IV.

• The Ministers commended the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (HLTF-ACV) for the development of the draft ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and looked forward to the development of its Strategic Plans on political-security; economics; socio-cultural issues; and connectivity by relevant bodies, during the Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2024. The Vision and its strategic plans will further be adopted in 2025 under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship.

• We reaffirmed our commitment to continue providing capacity building assistance to Timor-Leste, as well as to engage ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and other external partners to support Timor-Leste’s path towards full ASEAN membership.

For the Priorities of ASEAN Chairmanship 2024

• In my capacity as ASEAN Chair, I introduced the priorities for Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2024 under the theme: “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”.

• There are two components that centred on our theme namely “Connectivity” and “Resilience”.

• Under Enhancing Connectivity, there are four priorities, namely (1) Integrating and Connecting Economies, (2) Forging an Inclusive and Sustainable Future. Under this priority area, we welcome ASEAN support in working towards the establishment of ASEAN Power Grid, (3) Transforming for the Digital Future, and (4) Culture and Arts: Promoting the Role of ASEAN Culture and the Arts for Inclusion and Sustainability.

• Under Enhancing Resilience, there are five priorities, namely (1) Development of strategic plans to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, (2) Enhancing ASEAN Centrality, (3) Promoting Environmental Cooperation: Climate Change Resilience, (4) Women and Children: Promoting the role of Women and Children towards the transformation of behaviourism in ASEAN, and (5) Health: Transforming ASEAN Health Development Resilience in a New Context.

• In this regard, the Ministers expressed full supports for the Lao PDR’s priorities and deliverables.

• So, all together we have nine priority areas, but it is not an exhausted list. ASEAN cooperation is a continuing process, and we will build upon the achievements of ASEAN so far as well as initiatives from previous chairmanships.

• Next step, the Lao PDR, as the ASEAN Chair, will work closely with all ASEAN Member States, External Partners and ASEAN Secretariat to implement these priorities in order to make ASEAN a more connected and resilient community as in line with our Chairmanship theme.

With regard to ASEAN’s External Relations

• The Ministers underscored the importance of strengthening ASEAN unity and Centrality in our engagement with external partners, including through ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the ASEAN Plus One, ASEAN Plus Three (APT), East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum, and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), in order to build mutual trust and confidence as well as to reinforce an open, transparent, resilient, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture with ASEAN at the centre.

• We looked forward to the convening of the Special Summit to Commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations in Melbourne, Australia, on 5-6 March 2024 and the 24^th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting to be held in Brussels, Belgium, on 2 February 2024. We welcomed the Republic of Korea’s request for the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

• The Ministers reiterated commitment in having the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) as a guide for ASEAN’s engagement in the wider Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. In this regard, the Ministers welcomed the support of all ASEAN’s partners to the AOIP, among others, through the issuance of joint statements and other forms of collaboration and support.

Exchange of views on regional and international issues

• The Ministers exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern. These include emerging traditional and non-traditional security challenges such as armed conflicts, cyber security, natural disasters, climate change, maritime security and cooperation, and developments in various regions, including situation in Myanmar, the Korean Peninsula, South China Sea, Ukraine, and the Middle East, among others.

• On situation in Myanmar, the Ministers reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to assisting Myanmar in finding a peaceful and durable solution to the ongoing crisis, as Myanmar remains an integral part of ASEAN. We agreed that the Five-Point Consensus and the ASEAN Leaders’ Reviews and Decisions on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus adopted in 2022 and 2023 remain main references in this regard. In this regard, the Ministers welcomed the appointment of H.E. Mr. Alounkeo KITTIKHOUN, former Minister to Prime Minister’s Office of the Lao PDR as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar for 2024.

• With regard to the situation in Korean Peninsula, we stressed the importance of continued peaceful dialogue among all parties concerned in order to realise lasting peace and stability in a denuclearised Korean peninsula and also expressed grave concern over the surge in the DPRK intercontinental ballistic missile testing and ballistic missile launches and the increased tension in the Korean Peninsula. Thus, we urged all concerned parties to resume peaceful dialogue, including to create a conducive environment towards the realisation of lasting peace and stability in a denuclearised Korean Peninsula.

• As for the South China Sea, the Ministers discussed the situation in the South China Sea and reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation. The Ministers also reaffirmed the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

• We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea and recognised the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity. The Ministers underscored the importance of the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirely. The Ministers welcomed the progress achieved so far in the ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), including the official announcement of the commencement of the third reading of the Single Draft COC Negotiating Text (SDNT) at the 21st ASEAN-China SOM-DOC which was held in October 2023 in Beijing, China. In this regard, the Ministers looked forward to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

• With regard to Ukraine, as for all nations, the Ministers continued to reaffirm their respect for sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity. The Ministers reiterated the call for compliance with the UN Charter and international law and expressed support for the efforts of the UN Secretary-General in the search for peaceful solution.

• The situation in the Middle East, we expressed grave concern over the continued escalation of violence and armed conflict in the Middle East. We urged an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and called for the immediate and unconditional release of civilian hostages and detainees, especially women, children, the sick and the elderly. We reaffirmed our support for a negotiated two-state solution that allows both Israelis and Palestinians to live side-by-side in peace and security based on the pre-1967 borders, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. We noted the order on provisional measures issued by the ICJ on 26 January 2024.

• This is my brief presentation on key outcome of the AMM Retreat and you may find more details of our discussion in the Press Statement by the Chairman of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat that we will circulate and it is also available online in our chairmanship website and the ASEAN Secretariat website.

• I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to all ASEAN Foreign Ministers for their excellent cooperation, active and constructive contribution that led to the success of the AMM Retreat today. We sincerely thank all ASEAN Member States for their support for Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship.

• I will stop here and I will take some questions and comments from the media.

Thank you for your attention.

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