Jakarta, Indonesia – 19 May 2025 – The g7+ Secretariat led by Dr. Helder da Costa, General Secretary of the g7+, and the ASEAN Secretariat led by H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN held a bilateral meeting at the ASEAN Headquarters, in Jakarta, Indonesia. This meeting marks the beginning of strategic partnership between the two intergovernmental organizations.
The collaboration between ASEAN, as a prominent regional bloc, and the g7+, as a cross-regional coalition of countries affected by conflict and fragility, holds great potential to advance the shared goals of lasting peace, inclusive economic development, and collective prosperity. The g7+ member countries can benefit from ASEAN’s rich experience in fostering regional cooperation, political stability, and economic integration.
With a mutual aspiration to promote peace and sustainable development, the two organizations explored avenues for future cooperation, including peer learning, policy dialogue, and joint initiatives. This partnership comes at a critical time, with the shifting geopolitical and geo-economic landscape highlighting the need for greater solidarity among nations striving to overcome fragility and build resilience.
The discussion also identified key areas for potential cooperation, including trade facilitation, energy, digitalization, and preventive diplomacy. The two Secretariats agreed to pursue technical cooperation in these domains and to consider formalizing the partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Both organizations share a strong commitment to peaceful conflict resolution. The g7+ upholds the principle of country ownership and leadership, emphasizing non-interference, while ASEAN follows the “ASEAN Way” characterized by quiet diplomacy and consensus. Both sides acknowledged the complementarity of their approaches and agreed to explore joint efforts in dialogue and preventive diplomacy.
The meeting was concluded with agreement to maintain channel of communication and work on a roadmap for collaboration between the two Secretariats.