ASEAN senior officials gather to discuss key issues

VIENTIANE, July 24 (Xinhua) — Representatives from the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have gathered in Lao capital Vientiane to review and discuss key issues in the region.
The representatives gathered for the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM).
ASEAN senior officials attended the meeting on Tuesday to review the progress in implementing the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Master Plan 2025, discuss priorities for Laos’ ASEAN chairmanship in 2024, applications for membership in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), and external cooperation.
During the meeting, they also discussed preparations for several major events, including the 57th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with Dialogue Partners, and the 25th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
The participants also discussed preparations for the 14th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the 31st ASEAN Regional Forum. ■