AMM-58, related meetings open in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (sixth from left) poses for a photo with foreign ministers of ASEAN countries, Timor Leste and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn at the opening ceremony of the AMM-58 on July 9. (Photo: VNA)

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-58) and related meetings opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 9.

In his opening speech, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that overcoming difficulties and challenges, ASEAN has persevered and preserved peace and expanded prosperity in ways few regions can equal. The bloc did so by nurturing a habit of cooperation, a willingness to keep engaging even when the past was difficult and the present testing.

“Our region’s strength therefore lies not in the absence of tension, but in our commitment to manage it through mutual respect, continuous dialogue and the search for consensus. That is the ASEAN way – it must remain our guide,” the PM affirmed.

According to PM Anwar, AMM-58 takes place amid the unravelling of assumptions – where power unsettles principle, and calm can no longer be taken for granted. The global order is fraying. Conflict, coercion, and mistrust now define too many relationships – and countless lives are being lost or overturned in their wake. Conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa remain complex.

Anwar said ASEAN needs to ensure even closer alignment between its foreign and economic policy tracks to strengthen regional cohesion amid rising geopolitical and trade tensions.

He said ASEAN foreign ministers and economic ministers must move in concert to face challenges, stressing that such synergy is essential to translate ASEAN’s unity into tangible outcomes. This imperative is fully aligned with ASEAN’s Vision 2045, which calls for greater synergy across pillars and sectors.

The Malaysian leader expressed his hope that the AMM-58 will reaffirm a conviction that ASEAN will remain coherent, resilient, and respected.

AMM-58 is the largest gathering of ASEAN foreign ministers and senior diplomats from around the world to discuss pressing global and regional issues, promote cooperation, and advance the security and sustainability agenda in ASEAN.

Within the AMM-58 framework, there will be a total of 24 meetings including a series of bilateral meetings with dialogue partners outside ASEAN such as Australia, Canada, China, the European Union (EU), India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and the US.

In addition, trilateral conferences between Malaysia, the ASEAN Secretariat and partners Brazil, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey will also be held. The East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum will also take place under the chairmanship of Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, as the AMM Chair.

On the sidelines of AMM-58, Malaysia will also host the Fourth Conference on Cooperation Among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD IV).

The conference, co-chaired by Malaysia, Japan and Palestine, will focus on capacity building programmes, reconstruction of critical infrastructure in Palestine, and provision of comprehensive and effective humanitarian assistance.

Taking place from July 7 to 11, AMM-58 brings together about 1,500 delegates, including 40 foreign ministers, with ten ministers of ASEAN countries, the foreign minister of Timor Leste attending the event as an observer, and a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also attend the meetings.

This year is the 5th time Malaysia has held the ASEAN Chairmanship, with the theme of ASEAN 2025 being “Inclusivity and Sustainability”. The country previously held the ASEAN Chair in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015./.

VNA