Major takeaways from 46th ASEAN Summit

First of all, leaders of ASEAN member countries signed the "Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045: Our shared future" and adopted the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 along with four strategies on political-security, economic, socio-cultural, and connectivity aspects.

These documents reflect ASEAN's active role in shaping the future of the region and the bloc's strong aspiration for development for common peace, security, stability and prosperity.

Second, the regional leaders decided that Timor-Leste will be granted full ASEAN membership in October this year, becoming the 11th Member State of ASEAN.

This decision marks a new expansion of the bloc after three decades, indicating the inclusivity, cohesion and connectivity of the ASEAN Community. It is also a historic milestone for Timor-Leste.

Third, the 46th ASEAN Summit and related meetings demonstrate ASEAN's mindset for expanding connectivity to better adapt to geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainties.

From that perspective, ASEAN will not only consolidate and effectively harness potential of intra-bloc trade and investment cooperation, trade and investment relations with existing partners but also actively promoting connectivity beyond the region, by organizing the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit and the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council-China Summit to diversify partners, markets and supply chains, laying foundation for stronger development in the future.

During these meetings, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for building a more self-reliant, more active, more inclusive and more sustainable ASEAN to intensify ASEAN's collective strength for inclusive and sustainable development.

In the face of complex and unpredictable regional and international landscape, Pham underscored the need for ASEAN to ensure strategic independence and autonomy, substantially consolidate its central role, enhance resilience against external uncertainties, and seek more effective solutions to diverse range of emerging issues.

Prime Minister Pham suggested ASEAN should vigorously promote science-technology, innovation, digital transformation, green and sustainable development and consider these domains as a new pillar of cooperation.

He called on ASEAN and partners to promote dialogue and confidence building, consolidate multilateralism, support free, fair, inclusive and rule-based trading principles.

Pham called for signing a free trade agreement between ASEAN and member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, exploring the possibility of formulating a free trade deal between ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation Council and China./.