Director General of the Thai Foreign Ministry’s Department of ASEAN Affairs Suriya Chindawongse said leaders of 10 ASEAN member states will gather in Bangkok for the regional event.
There will be a focus on building a people-centred ASEAN Community "that leaves no one behind and looks to the future", he said, adding that working towards a digital, green and seamlessly connected region will be at the centre of talks, as well as the promotion of ASEAN centrality within the context of the regional architecture.
According to Suriya, the expected outcome of the summit will be a declaration of the leaders' vision for sustainability along with an operational plan to resolve the problems of maritime pollution, and the drafting of a framework of ideas regarding the Indo-Pacific concept.
Auramon Supthaweethum, Director General of the Thai Ministry of Commerce’s Trade Negotiations Department, said ASEAN leaders agreed to conclude negotiations on Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) late this year.
Even if an agreement can not be reached, there are positive signs of progress in the talks, she said.
The next ASEAN Summit will be held in November. Leaders from other countries will be invited to related meetings, including the ASEAN Regional Forum on political and security issues.
