Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today described the signing and adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future as a defining chapter in ASEAN's journey of regional integration. Stressing that ASEAN's future must rest on 'foundations of sustainability and inclusion,' Anwar said regional integration must be genuinely people-centred.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the declaration, endorsed during the 46th ASEAN Summit, represents a significant milestone in the bloc's commitment to building a more resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-centred regional community. The new vision will succeed the current ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together vision, which was adopted in 2015.
The document was signed by Anwar, as the Chair of ASEAN, along with the leaders of 10 ASEAN member states, including President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr of the Philippines, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, and Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia, among others. Also present was Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao of Timor-Leste, as the country was granted observer status in ASEAN in 2022.
Among those who witnessed the signing ceremony were the two Malaysian Deputy Prime Ministers, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, along with other key ministers. Anwar emphasized that the shared blueprint outlined in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration was a vision anchored in realism, animated by resolve, and made possible by trust.
Quoting the ASEAN founding declaration in 1967, Anwar highlighted the pledge to 'bind themselves together in friendship and cooperation,' renewing that promise as a covenant with the future. He noted that ASEAN has sought to create its future through steady effort, shared stewardship, and strategic vision.
The Prime Minister expressed appreciation to all who contributed to shaping the ASEAN 2045 vision, achieved through persistence and the quiet power of regional trust. He recalled ASEAN's launch of the Community Vision 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, reaffirming its role as a stabilizing force and a rising economic center.
Anwar cautioned about the unsettled international order and geopolitical tensions, stressing the need for leadership in technology and science revolutions, including AI and digital innovation. He warned of the risks posed by these technologies if left unmanaged, urging the need for governance and care in embracing innovation.