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View all search resultsASEAN turns 58 amid calls for unity in uncertain world
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Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers a speech on July 29 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. (AFP/Yasoyushi Chiba)
S
outheast Asian nations marked the 58th anniversary of ASEAN’s founding on Friday with a mix of vibrant cultural celebrations and solemn reflection, as leaders across the region urged unity and resilience in the face of rising geopolitical tensions and internal discord.
In a year marked by global instability, ASEAN leaders emphasized the need to renew the group’s founding values of cooperation and peace. Their messages came against the backdrop of recent border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, a fragile Myanmar crisis and the growing strategic competition between the United States and China in Southeast Asia.
Across the region, festivities under the theme “Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable ASEAN Future” were held to commemorate the day. In Bangkok, over 500 participants, including Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiamposa and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, joined the ASEAN Family Run. In Pasay city, Philippines, guests were treated to choir performances at the Coconut Palace.
In Jakarta, home to the ASEAN Secretariat, the celebration included folk dances, business forums and exhibitions, with hundreds of diplomats, civil society representatives and government officials in attendance.
Despite the joyous pageantry, a sobering undertone echoed across speeches delivered by regional leaders as they grappled with the bloc’s waning credibility and growing challenges.
Read also: Whither ASEAN community?
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, delivering his keynote address in Jakarta, described the anniversary as a moment of both reflection and renewal.
