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ASEAN must now move from vision to action, ensuring that its long-term aspirations outlined in the ASEAN Vision 2045 are realised through concrete implementation, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said today.
Speaking at the 37th ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) Meeting, Mohamad described the adoption of the ASEAN Vision 2045: ‘Our Shared Future’ as a defining achievement, marking a new phase in the bloc’s evolution.
“Our most significant achievement was the timely completion of ASEAN Vision 2045: ‘Our Shared Future, along with its four strategic plans. These documents provide a clear and cohesive blueprint to advance ASEAN’s transformation over the next 20 years,” he said.
“Moving forward, we must now turn our collective focus towards implementation as we advance a people-centred ASEAN Community that is inclusive, sustainable, and resilient,” he added.
Mohamad commended the High-Level Task Force and officials across ASEAN’s three community pillars — political-security, economic, and socio-cultural — for their dedication in crafting the vision and its supporting frameworks.
He also hailed the full admission of Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s newest member, calling it “a historic milestone” and the culmination of years of collective effort.
“Fact-finding missions conducted by the ASEAN Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community, and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community were instrumental in shaping a comprehensive roadmap for Timor-Leste’s membership,” he said.
Equally significant, he noted, was Timor-Leste’s own determination to meet ASEAN’s membership criteria through “steadfast participation, accession to ASEAN’s legal instruments, and alignment of national systems with ASEAN processes.”
Mohamad also highlighted progress in regional sustainability and energy cooperation, including the acceleration of the ASEAN Power Grid, which he described as a flagship initiative strengthening connectivity and advancing energy transition.
“These achievements speak to the strength of our coordination mechanisms. But they also remind us that the ACC must remain at the centre of cross-pillar coherence,” he said.
He stressed that the increasingly complex and interconnected nature of regional challenges demanded a “whole-of-ASEAN approach” to deliver meaningful outcomes.
On May 26, ASEAN leaders signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045: *Our Shared Future*, reaffirming their commitment to the bloc’s founding principles as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter. The declaration supersedes *ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together*, adopted during Malaysia’s previous chairmanship in 2015.
It now serves as a roadmap to transform ASEAN into a dynamic, innovative, and people-centred community, and a key growth driver in the Indo-Pacific by 2045.
In a separate address at the ASEAN Joint Foreign and Economic Ministers’ Meeting, Mohamad underscored the need for ASEAN to bridge the divide between geopolitics and economics, noting that “economic interdependence can be both a source of vulnerability and stability.”
“Our task is to ensure that interdependence becomes a bridge for cooperation, rather than a tool of coercion,” he said.
He urged ASEAN to diversify its economic partnerships while deepening cooperation with traditional partners to enhance resilience and competitiveness.
“As the world’s fifth-largest economic bloc, ASEAN cannot afford ambiguity. We must speak with a clear and united voice — one that champions openness, neutrality, and the long-term prosperity of our region,” he said.
Mohamad reaffirmed that ASEAN’s continued relevance depends on its ability to engage constructively with all partners, uphold multilateralism, and maintain ASEAN Centrality amid growing geopolitical rivalry.
“We must continue to advocate for an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional order, underpinned by international law, that fosters dialogue and cooperation, not confrontation,” he said, adding that the ASEAN Vision 2045 clearly articulates this aspiration. - October 25, 2025
