With the culmination of the 44th and 45th Asean Summits in Vientiane, the stage is set for Malaysia as we prepare for our own chairmanship of the regional organisation in 2025. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks at the Summits on building an inclusive and sustainable future for the region are indicative of our focus as Chair.
It is a natural segue from the theme on connectivity and resilience set by Lao, that, as Asean’s smallest member, has commendably maintained a steady hand on the regional organisation as the region continues to recover from the long-term effects of the global pandemic, and ongoing global disruptions caused by assorted conflicts.