ASEAN leaders adopt Kuala Lumpur Declaration for next 20-year development

Kuala Lumpur, May 26 (IANS) The Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045, a key document guiding the next 20 years of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping, was unveiled here on Monday, following its endorsement by ASEAN leaders gathered at the 46th ASEAN Summit.

In his remarks following the signing ceremony of the declaration, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the document would pave the way for the grouping's future direction, taking into account emerging challenges while putting sustainable and inclusive development at the forefront.

"The future we seek must rest on foundations of sustainability and inclusion. ASEAN's integration must be genuinely people-centered. That means closing development gaps, raising standards of living and investing in the human spirit and potential of all our citizens," he said.

"This shared blueprint gives shape to that belief. It is a vision anchored in realism, animated by resolve and made possible by trust," he added.

Among the key decisions made under the declaration is the formal adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045 and its accompanying strategic plans across four pillars, namely political-security, economic, socio-cultural, and connectivity.

Meanwhile, the grouping's Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn told a press briefing ahead of the summit that the ACV 2045 is meant to serve as pragmatic 20-year strategic roadmap to guide the region's development amid global uncertainties.

"These four strategic plans are designed to guide ASEAN on how to prioritize its work while upholding unity, solidarity, and ASEAN centrality," he said, adding that the roadmap also recognises the need to work closely with external partners, including dialogue, sectoral, and global partners.

"This document is forward-looking and strategic, acknowledging the shifts in geopolitics, digitalization, demographic change, climate risks, and other pressing issues. It provides clarity on how ASEAN should navigate its future," he emphasised.

Earlier, Malaysia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that ASEAN aspires to be a prosperous single market with a highly-skilled and inclusive workforce, productivity and innovation-driven growth, while incorporating sustainability across and along the value chain through the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 (ACV 2045), Xinhua news agency reported. The ACV 2045 also promotes the use of local currencies for cross-border transactions to reduce the region's vulnerability to external volatility, enhancing disaster risk financing, and mitigating the risks or impact arising from climate change and environmental degradation, it said.

"Through the new updated vision, ASEAN is expected to be a major player in the global economy and the fourth largest economy in the world, anchored on sustainable growth and good governance, empowered by advanced technologies and responsive to emerging opportunities," it added.

Malaysia is the chair of ASEAN for 2025, and is hosting the ASEAN Summit and related summits under the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'.

Established in 1967, the grouping includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

--IANS

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