PM Wong to attend Asean meetings, visit Laos from Oct 9-12
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This will be the first Asean Summit Mr Lawrence Wong will be attending in his capacity as prime minister.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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VIENTIANE, Laos – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will attend the 44th and 45th Asean Summits and related meetings, in addition to making an official visit to Laos, from Oct 9 to 12.
PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, will lead the Singapore delegation at the regional gathering in the capital, Vientiane, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Oct 8. This will be the first Asean Summit he will be attending in his capacity as prime minister.
The PMO said: “Laos’ chairmanship theme, Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience, underlines the region’s substantive and forward-looking agenda to enhance Asean’s unity and resilience in the face of geopolitical and economic headwinds.”
During the meetings, Asean leaders will review the region’s community-building efforts and discuss ways to create opportunities for their people and businesses, especially in new growth areas such as the digital and green economies.
“They will also discuss strengthening Asean’s role in forging an open, inclusive, and stable regional architecture,” said the PMO.
Discussions are expected to touch on topics such as the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement, green energy transition and the proposed Asean Power Grid.
The summits come against the backdrop of increasing geopolitical tensions, which include rising military conflict in the Middle East, maritime disputes in the South China Sea, continued civil unrest in Myanmar since the 2021 military coup, and the broader US-China rivalry.
Leaders and representatives from the 10 Asean member states, along with prospective member Timor-Leste, are expected at the summit.
However, Myanmar’s ruling military junta is still banned from formal Asean summits and only “non-political representatives” – a term generally understood to exclude the top leader and Cabinet members – from the country are allowed to attend.
At the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
The PMO also said PM Wong and his counterparts will discuss ways to expand the bloc’s engagement with the other world leaders at the 27th Asean Plus Three Summit, the 19th East Asia Summit, and the summits with Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea, the United Nations and the United States.
The 2024 regional gathering will be a first for several new leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
PM Wong will be accompanied by his wife, as well as Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
During PM Wong’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will be the Acting Prime Minister.
Singapore has longstanding bilateral relations with Laos, anchored by regular exchanges between officials and people-to-people ties.
In July, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone made an official visit to Singapore
Several high-level officials from Singapore have also made visits to Laos in 2024, including Manpower Minister Tan See Leng and Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.
