Discourse key to promoting interests of Asean citizens

Free Malaysia Today

Regular meetings and conferences among member countries and with dialogue partners have helped to enhance peace and brought prosperity to the region.   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/07/06/discourse-key-to-promoting-interests-of-asean-citizens   Laporan Lanjut:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/07/06/wacana-kunci-perjuang-kepentingan-warga-asean   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTNews #ASEAN #RafaelDaerr #JoelNg #AseanForeignMinistersMeeting #InclusivityAndSustainability

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00:00The annual gathering of the 10 ASEAN foreign ministers and their dialogue partners, set

00:06to take place in Kuala Lumpur this July 8-11, will likely be seen as a low-key affair.

00:13However, the impact of decisions made and deals struck in these four days will have

00:18a significant impact on many aspects of daily life.

00:22Through the ASEAN Plus One engagements, the bloc regularly discusses trade, energy,

00:26health, and more with its dialogue partners, underscoring the ASEAN foreign minister's

00:30meeting and post-ministerial conference's role in advancing regional interests on the global stage.

00:37These engagements on the multilateral and bilateral levels have helped Southeast Asia stay relatively

00:42stable, and with that stability comes prosperity. Each dialogue partner brings something different.

00:49Japan provides finance and technical expertise for power grid projects, the US supports maritime

00:54exercise and defense, while China strengthens ties through an upgraded ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement.

01:01With a seat at the table, the bloc gains the leverage to influence any agenda in Southeast Asia's favor,

01:07whether it involves balancing US-China ties or working on digital standards with the European Union.

01:13I think what is key is to build trust, you need dialogue, and it's a very interpersonal thing,

01:20so I think it's important to meet and to discuss. I do think that this has become particularly important

01:26now, with the global landscape having become a bit more volatile even, so to be turning towards

01:34each other and looking for reliable partners is essential in these times.

01:39Of course, it is not all smooth sailing. With Myanmar's crisis, South China Sea disputes,

01:45and uneven development posing challenges, but dialogue helps keep things from getting worse.

01:50As Joel Ng, a research fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told FMT,

01:57avoiding confrontation, conflict, and excessive competition is the basis for ASEAN's existence.

02:04Relevance of ASEAN is something that's always in the background. Maybe it doesn't seem really urgent and

02:08in the middle of a particular crisis, but in the big, long-term future, it's really, really important to maintain.

02:16Through these ties, ASEAN is shaping its own future to become a peaceful, stable, and resilient region

02:22that is people-centric and outward-looking, in line with its long-term blueprint. The ASEAN Community Vision, 2045.

02:30Narmtha Raja, FMT.

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