The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat was held on Sunday, marking the first major diplomatic gathering under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025.
The retreat, held in Langkawi, Malaysia, tackeld the theme of “inclusivity and sustainability”. It convened high-level officials from ASEAN member states, along with Timor-Leste Foreign Minister Bendito Freitas, who attended as an observer.
“We had a very good ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat. The general sense is that the world is at an inflection point. Much of the confluence of factors which have contributed to the peace and prosperity of Southeast Asia is now unraveling. Even if they are not actually unraveling, fundamental changes are occurring,” said Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishan in an interview following the retreat.
The retreat served as a critical platform to discuss ASEAN’s priorities for 2025, focusing on advancing the ASEAN community, enhancing regional unity, and reinforcing cooperation with international partners.
Key priorities
Ministers engaged in extensive discussions on key initiatives aimed at strengthening ASEAN’s role as a driver of peace, prosperity, and stability. They reaffirmed their commitment to regionalism, multilateralism, and adherence to international norms, particularly those outlined in the United Nations Charter, the ASEAN Charter, and the Southeast Asian Peace Treaty Treaty of Amity & Cooperation.
Malaysia’s chairmanship in 2025 was highlighted for its focus on promoting a people-centered and forward-looking ASEAN community. The ministers welcomed Malaysia’s priorities for enhancing economic growth, connectivity, and regional resilience through initiatives that align with ASEAN’s overarching vision for the future.
Regional security
Security concerns were high on the agenda, with ASEAN members reaffirming their commitment to peace and conflict resolution across Southeast Asia. The ministers emphasized ASEAN’s role in promoting stability through mechanisms such as the ASEAN Institute for Peace & Reconciliation and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting, which will be hosted on February 26 this year. The ministers also discussed the ongoing development of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. They expressed their desire for an agreement aligned with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Further discussions centered around ASEAN’s capacity to address transnational challenges, such as cybercrime, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. The creation of the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team, which was operationalized last year, was highlighted as a key step toward bolstering cybersecurity in the region. The initiative aims to enhance regional coordination in cybersecurity incident response and critical information infrastructure protection among ASEAN members.
Commitment to Myanmar
The Myanmar crisis remained a concern, with ASEAN reiterating its support for the five-point consensus to address the ongoing political and humanitarian situation.
“Unfortunately, the problems in Myanmar are nowhere near resolution. Actually, there has been no progress, and we have reaffirmed the centrality of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus. Myanmar remains an integral member of ASEAN, but it needs to sort itself out. It needs national reconciliation,” Balakrishnan said.
Ministers welcomed the appointment of Tan Sri Othman Hashim as ASEAN’s Special Envoy to Myanmar for 2025, underscoring the importance of continued efforts to resolve the crisis.
Tan Sri Othman Hashim is a distinguished Malaysian diplomat who served over 37 years in the administrative and diplomatic service, culminating in his role as secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ASEAN ministers reiterated their commitment to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful conflict resolution, while also urging the international community to step up humanitarian efforts in affected regions.
Economic & environmental goals
On the economic front, ASEAN reaffirmed its commitment to deepening economic integration. This comes as globalization is meeting resistance from protectionist policies around the globe.
“We are also seeing a world in which there has been a pushback against free trade and economic integration. (It is now) a more protectionist and nationalistic world. This, obviously, is anathema to the development model which Southeast Asia has embarked on,” said Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Balakrishnan.
The attendees expressed full support for Malaysia’s proposed Priority Economic Deliverables under its chairmanship. These include goals include various sectors, covering agriculture, tourism, energy, intellectual property, small & medium enterprises, digital transformation, as well as initiatives to strengthen supply chain and narrow the development gap among ASEAN members.
Environmental sustainability was another focal point, with discussions on advancing green agendas, such as the ASEAN Power Grid, with the primary aim being to develop a regional power grid, and the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change, a specialized body established to coordinate and support ASEAN’s climate action efforts. ASEAN members pledged to address critical environmental challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable water resource management.