On 28-29 January 2024, H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, was in Luang Prabang, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (the Lao PDR) to attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat).

In the Meeting, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their support to the Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024 under the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”, for ASEAN to fully benefit from cooperation and be able to efficiently address various challenges. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers also followed up on the implementation of issues discussed by ASEAN Leaders last year in September during the 43^rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, namely ASEAN Community-building, the drafting of Strategic Plans for ASEAN Community Vision 2045 which is planned to be concluded for the Leaders’ adoption in 2025, the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) to maintain ASEAN’s unity and centrality to prevent Southeast Asia from becoming proxy for conflict and confrontation, and the promotion of cooperation with external partners, which Peru’s application for Development Partnership and Algeria’s application to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) were endorsed at this Meeting.

On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Parnpree has expressed Thailand’s continued support on cooperation within ASEAN in the area of sustainable development, including in support of Chairmanship’s priorities, as well as reiterated Thailand’s readiness to work with all parties to establish ASEAN-ROK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as planned this year.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers also exchanged views on other regional and international issues, whereby ASEAN will continue to uphold its unity and centrality and utilise existing ASEAN-led mechanisms to constructively promote external relations. This will contribute to further build confidence and promote cooperation among each other leading to peace, stability, and unity of the region.

On Myanmar, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers has reaffirmed that the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) remains the main reference for ASEAN in helping Myanmar find solutions towards a peaceful, stable, and unified Myanmar. In this regard, Deputy Prime Minister Parnpree updated the Meeting about Thailand’s Humanitarian Initiative to provide humanitarian assistance along the Thai-Myanmar border in support of ASEAN’s collective efforts in implementing the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), to which the ASEAN Foreign Ministers expressed support. The Ministers additionally agreed to have the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) join in the monitoring of the delivery and distribution of the humanitarian assistance.

During the visit in Luang Prabang, Deputy Prime Minister Parnpree also had bilateral discussions with H.E. Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR, H.E. Mrs. Retno Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Sok Chenda Sophea, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and H.E. Mr. Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.