The ASEAN region, like other regions around the world, continues to face myriad challenges, including lingering economic and financial difficulties, even though the region has been gradually recovering from multidimensional disturbances, and yet this recovery remains fragile. Additionally, climate change, natural disasters, and traditional and non-traditional security issues are still pressing challenges. Against this backdrop, enhancing connectivity and resilience is of utmost importance to ensure ASEAN collective efforts in the strengthening of the ASEAN Community to seize opportunities and address present and emerging challenges effectively.
It is imperative for ASEAN to enhance its cooperation on ASEAN connectivity and resilience through intensifying ASEAN cooperation under the three community pillars; promoting infrastructure connectivity, narrowing development gap, promoting greater economic integration and people-to-people exchanges; and further strengthening ASEAN’s relations with external partners, while maintaining ASEAN’s relevance and ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture.
To this end, the Lao PDR has determined the theme for its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024: “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”.
