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Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Mr. Malaythong Kommasith, in his capacity as ASEAN Economic Minister for the Lao PDR, led the Lao delegation to participate in the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Special Dialogue Partner Meetings via video conference on May 20, 2025. The meetings were held at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Vientiane.
(KPL) Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Mr. Malaythong Kommasith, in his capacity as ASEAN Economic Minister for the Lao PDR, led the Lao delegation to participate in the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Special Dialogue Partner Meetings via video conference on May 20, 2025. The meetings were held at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Vientiane.
The ASEAN Economic Ministers held discussions with three key dialogue partners of China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand
The meetings were chaired by Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul, Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, who serves as Chair of ASEAN in 2025. Each session was co-chaired by the respective dialogue partner. Also in attendance were ASEAN Economic Ministers, the Minister of Trade of Timor-Leste as an observer, and the ASEAN Secretary-General.
The discussions focused on current regional and global economic challenges, with particular attention to the United States' tariff hike announced on April 2, 2025. Ministers expressed concern over the potential impact on regional trade and economic stability. They reaffirmed support for a multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization and underscored the importance of enhancing economic cooperation with developing countries to strengthen regional resilience.
The meetings concluded with the adoption of a draft joint statement, which calls on all member states to uphold WTO principles and commit to advancing cooperation within both existing and emerging free trade frameworks, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and ASEAN Plus Free Trade Agreements.
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