Asean plays 'stabilising' role on regional tensions, secretary-general says

VIENTIANE — The Asean bloc remains a "stabilising force" in Southeast Asia despite making only incremental progress on key issues, including Myanmar's civil war and the drafting of a code of conduct for the South China Sea, its secretary-general said.

Leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations are meeting in Laos this week with heads of government and top diplomats from partners including the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

The bloc, home to over 685 million people and representing around eight per cent of global exports, has been unable to push resolutions on difficult regional issues, which analysts say risks undermining Asean's central role in its backyard.

But Asean's Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn insisted the grouping has constantly pushed for dialogue and diplomacy, ensuring that negotiations move ahead.

"A has been, I would say, the stabilising force," the former Cambodian diplomat told Reuters in an interview late on Wednesday (Oct 9).

"We take the issues head on," he said. "People always put too much emphasis on problems, but the way I look at Asean, we have come a long way."

For instance, Kao Kim Hourn said, with member economies increasingly integrated and trade agreements in place with many external partners, Asean attracted US$230 billion (S$301 billion) in new investments in 2023.

"The fact that there is confidence and trust in Asean, that's why the US$230 billion investment moves into Asean," he said. "The future is here."

Myanmar is 'complex'

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Asean has made little progress with its "Five Point Consensus" peace plan for Myanmar, unveiled months after a 2021 coup, but Kao Kim Hourn said the leaders of Asean remain adamant that the grouping will stay engaged with