“ASEAN way means success”

The speech by Thongloun Sisoulith, President of Laos, at the opening of the ASEAN summit in Vientiane

This year, Lao People's Democratic Republic has the honor of assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN for the third time since our accession to ASEAN on 23 July 1997. Each time, we have received invaluable support and assistance from our family ASEAN, dialogue partners and friendly nations. ASEAN is defined by its diversity. Throughout its evolution, it has successfully overcome numerous challenges, which led to the creation of the ASEAN Community in 2015. Today, ASEAN is home to nearly 700 million people, making it the third largest economy in Asia and the fifth in the world. Projections indicate that ASEAN will become the world's fourth largest economy by 2030. In the near future, ASEAN will include all Southeast Asian nations with the accession of Timor-Leste as a full member, reaffirming its diversity and while creating new opportunities for its external relations. ASEAN's achievements over the years have brought tangible benefits to people, reflecting the region's shared aspirations, intentions, unity and solidarity amid diversity. These findings further demonstrate that cooperation, guided by the ASEAN way, resonates with the shared goal of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, and sustainable socioeconomic development. Regional and international environments are experiencing a rapid and complex phase of change and new challenges. In this context, ASEAN must continue to uphold its common cause of peace, stability and sustainable development, as well as its commitment to multilateralism based on equality and mutual benefit. Lao PDR has consistently pursued a foreign policy of “peace, independence, friendship and cooperation”. Lao PDR is proud to be a member of the ASEAN family, whose achievements, including its thriving external relations, have contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of our country. Under the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”, this presidency aligns with the goal of promoting connectivity and resilience, and shows our aspiration to transform Laos from a landlocked country into a regional hub with international connectivity. I firmly believe, with the long tradition of cooperation and mutual support within the ASEAN family and from our external partners, that the summit and related summits in recent days will be a great success.