In his welcoming address, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long highlighted ASEAN’s values, unity and cohesion. He called on ASEAN countries and their dialogue partners to have constructive and open meetings with priorities given to constructing a bloc of peace, stability, and prosperity to contribute to global development.

Following the opening ceremony, ASEAN ministers held closed-door meetings to discuss regional and global issues. High on the agenda are orientations to build ASEAN Community with a vision until 2025, increasing ASEAN’s resilience in dealing with emerging challenges, and strengthening regional architecture and ASEAN’s central role.

They also discussed ASEAN’s active role in ensuring regional peace and stability while promoting regional political and security forums and mechanisms such as ARF, EAS, and ADMM+, the expansion of members in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, the finalization of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea, and the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Freezone.