KL Declaration, ASEAN Community Vision 2045 Mark New Chapter For Southeast Asia - ASEAN Sec-Gen
By Nurul Hanis Izmir
KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (Bernama) -- The Kuala Lumpur Declaration and the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 (ACV 2045) signed and adopted by the ASEAN leaders today mark a bold new chapter for the regional bloc as it embraces long-term strategic planning that is vital in dealing with rising global uncertainty, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn said.
He said the Kuala Lumpur Declaration and ACV 2045 collectively represent the first-ever 20-year vision adopted by ASEAN leaders - the ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future - a significant departure from previous shorter-term frameworks.
'There is a major difference in the sense that the first phase (of the previous vision) was initiated by Malaysia. And this time again, Malaysia has been in the works from the very beginning as the co-chair and until the end...the country has been leading the whole process,' he told Bernama on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit here.
Calling the ACV 2045 'very bold' and 'strategic', Kao also said that the long-term vision was indeed timely as it comes at a time of global disruptions, including political and security dynamics, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the escalating climate crisis.
He also praised Malaysia's chairmanship this year, describing it as being 'very dynamic and strategic,' hence reflecting the theme of 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'.
Backed by four strategic plans, he said ACV 2045 will shape ASEAN's priorities over the next two decades, a step forward in the bloc's commitment to being more transparent, open and inclusive.
'This Kuala Lumpur Declaration, along with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, is what Malaysia is doing now and a new chapter for ASEAN,' he said.
Echoing the sentiment, Senior Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, Dr Oh Ei Sun, said ACV 2045 introduces 17 new elements that reflect ASEAN's evolving socio-economic landscape.
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