Singapore Hopes Malaysia Will Advance Sustainability Agenda Under ASEAN Chairmanship
Singapore hopes Malaysia will advance the region’s sustainability agenda under its ASEAN Chairmanship this year, said its Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
Sustainability as a Key Priority
"Sustainability is a key priority for ASEAN as Southeast Asia is highly vulnerable to climate change, evident in disasters like Typhoon Yagi in 2024," he said. "We will work together towards the establishment of the ASEAN Power Grid, a cornerstone for a sustainable future."
Digital Economy Framework Agreement
Expressing Singapore’s full confidence and commitment towards Malaysia’s Chairmanship, Balakrishnan said the country also looks forward to the substantial conclusion of the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). He said that this would accelerate digital transformation within ASEAN and create a more integrated digital economy across the region.
East Asia Summit
The minister said Singapore’s key priority agenda this year is to work with Malaysia to deliver a substantive 20th East Asia Summit (EAS), including through the implementation of projects under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). He said that in an increasingly contested global context, ASEAN must step up its engagement with key external powers, especially through the EAS, which was first convened in Kuala Lumpur in 2005.
Challenges and Opportunities
Balakrishnan noted that ASEAN in 2025 faces three key challenges – global geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the climate crisis, and the opportunities and challenges of new technologies including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and renewable energy.
ASEAN Community Vision
At the upcoming ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) Retreat this weekend, Balakrishnan said Singapore will prioritise the development of ASEAN’s green and digital economies. "We will also intensify efforts to reduce development gaps between Member States so that all nations in ASEAN can contribute to, and benefit from, the region’s growth and prosperity," he said, adding that the ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045 provides the roadmap to achieve these objectives.
Conclusion
For almost six decades, ASEAN has fostered regional stability, and built a united community to generate growth and prosperity for its people. This commitment to inclusivity is the glue that has made ASEAN integration possible, despite the region’s diversity of cultures, languages, and political systems.
FAQs
Q: What is Singapore’s key priority agenda for 2025?
A: Singapore’s key priority agenda for 2025 is to work with Malaysia to deliver a substantive 20th East Asia Summit (EAS), including through the implementation of projects under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
Q: What are the three key challenges that ASEAN faces in 2025?
A: ASEAN in 2025 faces three key challenges – global geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the climate crisis, and the opportunities and challenges of new technologies including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and renewable energy.
Q: What is the ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045?
A: The ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045 provides the roadmap to achieve the objectives of ASEAN’s green and digital economies, and to reduce development gaps between Member States.