KL Gears Up For ASEAN Ministerial Week As SOM Concludes Successfully

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali & Nurunnasihah Ahmad Rashid

KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) has concluded today in preparation for the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin, who chaired the meeting, said discussions at the senior officials’ level went smoothly and that preparations for the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting are already underway.

“Hopefully, we have four more days, from Tuesday to Friday, to complete the full series of meetings,

“This includes the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat, and the ASEAN Plus One Post-Ministerial Conference with Dialogue Partners,” he told reporters after the SEANWFZ (Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty) meeting, which was held immediately after the SOM on Monday.

He said that Malaysia, as this year’s ASEAN Chair, will also convene trilateral meetings involving the ASEAN Secretariat and four countries – Norway, Switzerland, Brazil, and Turkiye.

Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from fellow ASEAN member states and dialogue partner countries.

Today's meeting was attended by secretaries-general and senior representatives from the foreign ministries of ASEAN member states, who discussed preparations for the 58th AMM and related meetings. 

They also deliberated on key issues expected to be raised and highlighted during the upcoming sessions.

The 58th AMM and related meetings, to be held under Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship themed ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability,’ will feature 24 ministerial-level meetings, including engagements with ASEAN Dialogue Partners and Sectoral Dialogue Partners.

The high-level meetings are set to occur at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) from July 8 to 11, with an expected attendance of about 1,500 delegates.

These include foreign ministers from ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) participating countries, Sectoral Dialogue Partners and senior officials from the ASEAN Secretariat, several of whom are scheduled to arrive today.

-- BERNAMA