VIENTIANE, Oct 11 — Asean must remain a strong entity, which requires every member of the bloc to avoid creating divisions by siding with conflicting countries.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said this was one of the key issues discussed during the ongoing 44th and 45th Asean Summits and related summits held here since Wednesday.

Leaders of the regional bloc, among others, met with leaders of China, South Korea, and Japan during the Asean Plus Three (APT) Summit on Thursday to discuss how APT can serve as a foundation for peace and prosperity in South-east Asia.

"Their role and their close ties are crucial... otherwise, the situation in South-east Asia could become chaotic if these three nations were to clash.

"We do not want Asean to become fragmented because some might want to align themselves with specific countries," he said during a press conference with Malaysian media here late Thursday night.

Tensions exist in the relationships between China, South Korea, and Japan due to various factors — history, maritime claims, trade, and more.

Mohamad stated that Asean must be preserved as a unified entity, emphasising the importance of Asean Centrality.

"Whatever we do, it must be based on the spirit of Asean Centrality itself,” he explained.

In addition to APT, discussions were also held with other dialogue partners, including Australia, New Zealand, India, and Canada, focusing on trade and technology transfer.

Furthermore, the group took the opportunity to discuss regional trade issues, particularly in enhancing intra-Asean trade, as current trade volume among Asean countries remains relatively low.

"We trade more with external partners than within Asean itself — intra-Asean trade is less than 30 per cent.”

As a result, he said, Asean must improve connectivity, not only through road infrastructure networks but also by boosting trade, investment, and economic links.

"This is a point strongly emphasised by all nations so that we trade among ourselves. For countries with sufficient supply, they should be able to meet the needs of other member states, such as addressing labour demands,” he explained.

Additionally, representatives of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) held a closed-door meeting with Asean heads of state, with the Malaysian Parliament represented by Speaker of the House of Representatives Tan Sri Johari Abdul.

"All Parliamentary Speakers in Asean attended the meeting to discuss with Asean leaders how we can enhance technology and empower our respective Parliaments to further promote freedom of expression within our countries,” he said. — Bernama