JAKARTA, 19 March 2025 – Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, attended a working lunch today hosted by Kate Rebholz, Chargé d’affaires, a.i. of the United States Mission to ASEAN, at the Residence of the U.S. Chief of Mission to ASEAN. The meeting served as a platform to discuss the latest developments in the ASEAN-United States Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the ongoing formulation of a successor document to the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-United States Strategic Partnership (2021-2025).
During the discussions, Dr. Kao and Chargé d’affaires Rebholz reaffirmed the strong and enduring relationship between ASEAN and the United States, emphasizing their shared commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. They also explored ways to further enhance cooperation in key areas such as economic resilience, digital transformation, climate action, and regional security.
The meeting underscored the significance of the ASEAN-U.S. partnership in advancing mutual strategic interests, particularly in light of evolving geopolitical and economic challenges. Both sides reiterated their dedication to fostering an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional order, with ASEAN’s centrality as a guiding principle.
The successor document to the current Plan of Action is expected to outline new priority areas and initiatives that will strengthen ASEAN-U.S. collaboration beyond 2025. Discussions also touched on deepening cooperation in emerging fields such as cybersecurity, supply chain resilience, and sustainable development.
The working lunch reflects the continued high-level engagement between ASEAN and the United States, reinforcing their shared vision for a stable, secure, and prosperous Southeast Asian region.
For more details, visit the ASEAN Secretariat website.
