(KPL) On October 9, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone of Lao PDR presided over the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane, as part of Laos’ chairmanship of ASEAN 2024. Under the theme "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience," the Summits brought together ASEAN leaders, a non-political representative of Myanmar, the ASEAN Secretary-General, and the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste.

The 44th ASEAN Summit reviewed ASEAN’s progress in community-building and outlined future directions for the region. Leaders commended the implementation of the ASEAN Vision 2025 and the successful execution of the nine priorities set by Lao PDR’s 2024 ASEAN chairmanship, which focused on regional integration, digital transformation, climate resilience, and strengthening health systems. These initiatives aim to ensure a more integrated and connected ASEAN capable of addressing complex geopolitical and economic challenges.

In addition, ASEAN leaders expressed satisfaction with Timor-Leste's progress toward full ASEAN membership and looked forward to welcoming the nation into the ASEAN family in the near future.

Discussions also centered on ASEAN’s external relations, emphasizing the importance of maintaining ASEAN Centrality while deepening cooperation with global partners. Leaders highlighted the significance of key anniversaries, including the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations and the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations. The Summit also welcomed the Republic of Peru as a Development Partner of ASEAN.

A notable guest at the 44th Summit was the President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), who presented an overview of the region’s socio-economic outlook and discussed AIIB’s cooperation with ASEAN Member States. This provided valuable insights for ASEAN leaders as they chart future directions for ASEAN’s growth and development.

The 45th ASEAN Summit, held as a retreat session, allowed leaders to engage in open discussions on regional and international issues, including conflicts, economic and financial difficulties, climate change, natural disasters, and transnational crime. A significant focus was on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar, with ASEAN leaders commending Lao PDR’s role in upholding the region’s commitment to this process.

In total, the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits resulted in the adoption of 56 documents across the three ASEAN Community pillars, laying the groundwork for further enhancing ASEAN’s connectivity, resilience, and capacity to address future challenges.

KPL