The 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings are currently taking place in Manila, Philippines, where the foreign ministers of the ASEAN along with their heads of delegates from the key international partners are meeting each other to engage in a series of high-level diplomatic discussions.
The summit wraps up the Post-Ministerial Conferences, bilateral talks and the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and discussions focus on regional peace, economic cooperation in the region, maritime security and the future of the Indo-Pacific.
ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn has held discussions on a number of key dialogue partners with the U.S. Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio and Foreign Minister of Canada, stakeholders from the travel industry in both countries and a media roundtable.
He also addressed the ASEAN-China Tourism Dialogue and affirmed their commitment to developing the ASEAN-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and a new work plan for the next five years, which marks the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue Relations and the fifth anniversary of ASEAN and U.S. strategic partnership in 2027, at the ASEAN and U.S. Post-Ministerial Conference.
The Quad foreign ministers also held talks on the sidelines of the summit on side by side cooperation and underlined the importance of ASEAN centrality and free and open Indo Pacific. In another development the security agenda remained uninterrupted throughout the 33rd session of ARF in Manila, when Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar made his maiden trip to Manila for the Plenary and bilateral talks with other members of the ARF.
The Manila summit will also feature more sessions by ASEAN ministers, bilateral discussions and statements with ASEAN’s dialogue partners, one of the biggest political events in the region this year. Further development of this story with additional updates to be added as meetings come to a close and official announcements are made.
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