Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and related preparatory sessions opened on October 23, laying the groundwork for the 47th ASEAN Summit and related high-level meetings, which will take place in Malaysia from October 26–28.
These sessions will pave the way for high-level ministerial engagements beginning on October 24, leading up to the opening ceremony, to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Chair of ASEAN 2025.
Running concurrently is the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to ASEAN, to be attended by the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to ASEAN, Natércia Cipriana Coelho da Silva, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), Datuk Astanah Abdul Aziz.
The CPR meeting will review progress across ASEAN's political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars while aligning deliverables for adoption during the summit week.
Meanwhile, the evening session will convene with the ASEAN Joint SOM-SEOM (Senior Economic Officials Meeting) and a welcome dinner for ASEAN SOM leaders, Timor-Leste SOM leader and ASEAN DSG APSC hosted by the Foreign Ministries Secretary-General cum ASEAN SOM leader of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin.
Under Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship theme of 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', the 47th ASEAN Summit and related summits is set to be one of the largest meetings in the bloc’s history, serving as a crucial platform to foster deeper collaboration while addressing regional and global challenges in a cohesive and inclusive manner.
The event will also see Timor-Leste’s active participation towards its accession as the 11th member of ASEAN, which is expected to be announced on October 26.
Malaysia’s hosting of the ASEAN Summit and related meetings comes at a time when the global economy is being severely impacted by debilitating tariffs imposed by the US.
These meetings include the 26th ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Council Meeting, where officials would delve into the AEC Blueprint 2025, focusing on enhanced connectivity, sectoral cooperation, people-centred community and the region’s integration into the global economy./.
