ISLAMABAD   -   Chairman, ASEAN Committee Islamabad (ACI) High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam to Pakistan, Kamal Bashah has said the partnership between ASEAN and Pakistan is rich in history and continues to flourish, grounded in mutual respect and shared goals.

Since its establishment on 8th August 1967, ASEAN has been a cornerstone of regional stability and growth, Chairman ACI said.

Chairman, ASEAN Committee Islamabad (ACI) High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam to Pakistan, Kamal Bashah said this while addressing the 57th anniversary of ‘ASEAN Day’.

The envoy said this year’s theme, “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience,” is particularly timely and significant as we try to navigate ourselves within the complexities of this modern world.

The ambassador from different ASEAN countries in Islamabad including, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Pakistan, Mohammad Azhar Mazlan, Ambassador of Philippines to Pakistan, Maria Agnes M Cervantes, the Ambassador of Vietnam to Pakistan, Pham Anh Tuan, the Ambassador of Myanmar to Pakistan, Wunna Han the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to Pakistan, Rahmat Hindiarta Kusuma and the Charge d’Affaires of Thailand, Kamolwan Sriposil also present of the occasion.

Meanwhile, Chairman, ASEAN Committee Islamabad (ACI) said, “We take pride in our progress towards the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, which encompasses political-security, economic, and socio-cultural dimensions.” He said that this vision underscores our cooperation in critical areas such as defence, counterterrorism, peacekeeping, economic integration, climate action, and disaster risk reduction.

He said that with a combined population of over 690 million people and a combined GDP surpassing $3.6 trillion, ASEAN has emerged as one of the significant political and economic players on the global stage.

Chairman ACI said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be known, is a regional organisation which currently comprises the ten member states: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“We have also recently been welcoming Timor-Leste to be our ASEAN member as they have now been conducting their intensified efforts in implementing the roadmap criteria towards their full membership. Our commitment to dialogue, consultation, and cooperation based on the ASEAN Way principle, has been instrumental in maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the region” he said.

Chairman ACI said this was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when ASEAN’s coordinated efforts were vital in mitigating the virus’s socio-economic impacts.

Addressing the ceremony, he said that since Pakistan was accorded sectoral dialogue status with the Association of ASEAN in 1993, our cooperation has expanded across numerous sectors, including trade, investment, science and technology, environment, tourism, and human resources development.

Kamal Bashah said this relationship can be seen in many different forms over the years, including Pakistan’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in 2004 and the establishment of the ASEAN-Pakistan Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AP-JSCC) which has been instrumental in enhancing our collaboration.

He said earlier this year, “we also welcomed the adoption of the Practical Cooperation Areas between ASEAN and Pakistan from 2024 to 2028, which we are confident will be an instrumental overall framework to advance ASEAN [1] Pakistan cooperation over the next four years”.

The Ambassador said that on trade and investment, our preliminary data indicated that the total two-way trade between ASEAN and Pakistan is growing admirably, rising from $10.22 billion in 2021 to 10.62 billion in 2022, amounting to about a 3.84% increase for that period.

He said that these numbers are expected to continue to rise, particularly as ASEAN is also projecting economic growth of 4.6% in 2024 and 4.7% in 2025 respectively.

The envoy said the ASEAN tourism industry is a vital economic sector for many nations in the region and is anticipated to continue its recovery in 2024 as international tourism flows normalize towards pre-pandemic levels across Southeast Asia.

This positive trend has been reflected in the number of Pakistani tourists visiting ASEAN countries, which had surged to approximately 131,000 in 2022, marking a more than 50% increase from the 2021 figure of around 5,100, he said.

He said that this annual celebration stands as a testament to our collective achievements based on our shared vision for a united and prosperous Southeast Asia. He said, “We have undoubtedly been facing numerous global challenges, including the aftermath of the pandemic, regional conflicts, economic uncertainties, and the urgent need to combat the climate change phenomena.”

He said that in these challenging times, regional organisations like ASEAN will continue to play a crucial role in fostering multilateral cooperation in the effort to effectively address these issues. As we celebrate ASEAN’s 57th anniversary, allow us this opportunity to reaffirm our dedication toward peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, he added.