February 08

The Myanmar delegation led by Dr Wah Wah Maung, an Eminent Person (EP) of Myanmar for the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of the Union Myanmar attended the 21st Meeting of High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community Vision 2045 (21st HLTF-ACV) which was held in Manila, the Philippines on 3–5 February 2025, accompanied by officials from the ASEAN Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Drafting sessions of the High-Level Representatives were also held on the sideline of the 21st Meeting of HLTF-ACV and concluded the final reading with 100 per cent completion of the draft ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC) Strategic Plan.

The 21st HLTF-ACV Meeting was co-chaired by Eminent Persons (EP) of Malaysia and the Philippines as the permanent shepherd Member States, and attended by Eminent Persons, High-Level Representatives and officials from the ASEAN Member States, representatives from Timor-Leste as well as ASEAN Secretary-General and officials from the ASEAN Secretariat.

At the meeting, the HLTF-ACV had an Interface Meeting with the Chair of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI), Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Development of the ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan and Chair of the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC), Senior Officials Responsible for Information (SOMRI), and the respective pillars have updated their progress in developing their respective ASEAN Community Vision 2045 strategic plans. The Meeting exchanged views on the development of the respective strategic plans and effective implementation.

During the meeting, the Draft Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN Community Vision 2045 is set to be adopted at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia in 2025. The meeting also deliberated on the Draft APSC Strategic Plan of ASEAN Community Vision 2045, Institutional Strengthening related Strategic Measures, Cross-pillar Strategic Measures, and the Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism for the implementation of Strategic Plans as well as the development of Strategic Plans by the respective pillars.

The upcoming 22nd HLTF-ACV Meeting scheduled to be held in March 2025 in Penang, Malaysia, will delve into further discussions on the Strategic Plans of the ASEAN Community Pillars. In addition, the Meeting will address key issues such as ensuring harmonization among strategic measures of the respective pillars, avoiding duplication, identification of lead sectoral bodies and pillars to take ownership for the implementation of strategic measures, strengthening linkages and coordination among sectoral bodies as well as Monitoring and Evaluation mechanisms of the Strategic Plans. The Meeting will also emphasize the timely conclusion of the Strategic Plans for their adoption at the 46th ASEAN Summit in May 2025 in Malaysia. — MNA