Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and advancing the ASEAN Community through the effective implementation of the ASEAN Vision 2025 and the three community blueprints.

The statement was made by Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith at a press conference on the outcomes of the 28^th and 29^th ASEAN Summits and related summits in Vientiane yesterday.

During the summits hosted by the Lao PDR from September 6-8, 2016 under the theme “Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic ASEAN Community,” 12 summits were held including two summits among ASEAN leaders namely the 28^th and 29^th ASEAN Summits, and nine summits between ASEAN and its dialogue partners.

At the 28^th and 29^th ASEAN Summits, ASEAN leaders discussed the implementation of ASEAN Community Vision 2015 and enhancing cooperation with ASEAN’s external partners.

“We adopted the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan III and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025,” said Mr Thongloun.

He noted that ASEAN leaders signed the ASEAN Declaration on One ASEAN, One Response: ASEAN Responding to Disasters as One in the Region and Outside the Region.

They also adopted several outcome documents aimed at realizing the eight priorities of the ASEAN Chairmanship 2016 and the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.

“We reiterated the importance of the further strengthening cooperation with dialogue partners as well as enhancing ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture through ASEAN-led mechanisms. Moreover, we agreed to explore appropriate modalities for engagement with countries that expressed interest in the forming partnerships with ASEAN on the basis of mutual benefit and contributing toward ASEAN Community building,” the prime minister pointed out.

On the occasion, ASEAN accepted the accession to the Treaty of the Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia by Chile, Egypt, and Morocco.

The ASEAN leaders helped summits with dialogue partners, namely China, Japan, Republic of Korean, India, the United States, Australia, and the United Nations where the leaders of ASEAN and dialogue partners agreed to enhance cooperation in all areas to ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness, particularly cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, tourism, people-to-people exchanges and others, based on mutual benefits.

Moreover, the ASEAN Plus Three Summit and East Asia Summit have also been held.

“The success of the 28^th and 29^th ASEAN Summits and related summits, as well as Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanship over the past eight months, has been possible thanks to the valuable assistance, support and cooperation extended to us by ASEAN member states, ASEAN’s dialogue partners, and other external parties as well as friendly countries, and international organizations,” Prime Minister Thongloun emphasised.

The Philippines will take the rotary chairmanship of ASEAN in 2017, which will start from January 1, 2017.

“We trust that under the chairmanship of the Philippines, the ASEAN Community will continue to gain new achievements, thus contributing to turning the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 into concrete action,” Prime Minister Thongloun added.