FM Bui Thanh Son co-chairs the ASEAN-RoK Conference

Addressing the event, Foreign Minister Bui emphasized that cooperation between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea (RoK) is increasingly developing amid many difficulties and challenges.

ASEAN welcomes initiatives to build strong ties with the RoK, including the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI), towards establishing the ASEAN-RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the RoK-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership in 2024, said Bui.

For his part, Korean Foreign Minister Park reaffirmed his government's commitment to play an increasingly proactive role in advocating for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

At the same time, the RoK considers ASEAN as the focus of its foreign policy, said Park.

He highlighted the KASI cooperation and emphasized that this initiative will focus on solidarity, mutual benefit and equal partnership, which includes four main contents.

First, KASI demonstrates RoK's unwavering support for ASEAN's centrality and the ASEAN Vision for the Indo-Pacific.

Second, KASI plays a more significant role in strategic cooperation in political security with ASEAN.

Third, KASI will expand the areas of cooperation in the future, including but not limited to collaboration in digital, innovative infrastructure, and climate change activities.

Fourth, the RoK will significantly increase resources through KASI and plans to gradually double its annual contribution to the ASEAN-RoK Cooperation Fund (AKCF) to US$48 million by 2027.

Also at the conference, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized ASEAN and Korea's partnership is vital to driving digital transformation in Southeast Asia.

ASEAN is committed to building a culture of dialogue and a model of cooperation using all existing frameworks within ASEAN, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)./.