84 Outcome Documents to Be Issued at 47th ASEAN Summit, Says Foreign Minister Tok Mat

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13: A total of 84 outcome documents are expected to be issued at the upcoming 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from October 26 to 28, according to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Mohamad, who inspected summit preparations on Monday, said the number of documents reflected Malaysia’s strong commitment as this year’s ASEAN Chair to advance the regional community’s goals under the ASEAN Vision 2045.

“Many new matters have been agreed upon. Alhamdulillah, Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair, has produced very effective outcomes for the ASEAN community to face and manage the ASEAN 2045 vision,” he told reporters.

This year’s summit will also feature a new integrated approach, with foreign ministers and economic ministers meeting jointly for the first time. The initiative aims to ensure better coordination of policy decisions, which were previously handled separately.

“In the past, decisions made by the foreign ministers and economic ministers were not coordinated they were siloed,” Mohamad explained. “Now we want to align these decisions and ensure they feed into the leaders’ discussions effectively.”

Among the key highlights of the summit will be the ASEAN Zero Emission Community Meeting with dialogue partners Australia and Japan, which seeks to strengthen regional efforts toward achieving a zero-emission future.

Malaysia, as chair, will also steer discussions on the ASEAN United States Trade Agreement and the ASEAN China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 3.0, as China continues to be the bloc’s largest trading partner.

Prior to the summit, Mohamad will chair the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on October 24, where discussions will cover critical topics such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and Timor Leste’s admission as a full ASEAN member.

He confirmed that all ASEAN leaders and dialogue partners are expected to attend the summit, though Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attendance has not yet been confirmed.

On preparations, Mohamad said all arrangements were on track, with logistics and meeting facilities “carefully organized” to ensure a smooth and successful event.

— Voice of Malaysia News