10 October 2024, Vientiane – Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone presided over the 27th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit, attended by the leaders of ASEAN and the Plus Three countries, namely the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Japan, as well as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as an observer.

The meeting reviewed APT cooperation over the past years and set the course for future collaboration, focusing on strengthening the APT cooperation framework to enhance connectivity and resilience. The goal is to jointly capitalize on opportunities and address challenges in the region. The leaders agreed to continue enhancing cooperation through existing mechanisms and initiatives under the APT framework, including the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), the East Asia Forum (EAF), and the Network of East Asia Think-Tanks (NEAT), among others, to ensure resilience and effectiveness. The meeting praised the significant contributions of the Plus Three countries to APTERR in assisting ASEAN Member States affected by recent natural disasters.

Moving forward, the leaders agreed to continue implementing the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan (2023-2027) in its entirety and effectively. At the same time, the meeting encouraged APT countries to advance cooperation in key areas such as digital transformation, technology and innovation, green energy, economic and financial integration alongside environmental protection, infrastructure development, and regional food security. The APT leaders also adopted the APT Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening the Connectivity of Regional Supply Chains.

The ASEAN Plus Three (APT) mechanism was established in 1997 to address the financial crisis facing the region at the time. Since then, APT cooperation has been strengthened and expanded, becoming a key platform for promoting collaboration in East Asia. APT covers political-security, economic, and socio-cultural cooperation.
