On 11 October 2024, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Zhang Ming met with Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Kao Kim Hourn, on the sidelines of the 19th East Asia Summit.
Zhang Ming underlined that ASEAN was one of the first regional organisations to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the SCO. According to him, the two associations, which have geographical and cultural proximity and share the same principles, have significant potential for economic, security and humanitarian cooperation. For its part, the SCO is ready to enhance interaction with ASEAN across the board, and hold closer and more regular contacts between the permanent bodies of the two organisations. According to the SCO Secretary-General, this will significantly improve security and stability in the region, and contribute to its growth and prosperity.
The ASEAN Secretary-General thanked Zhang Ming for his participation in the East Asia Summit. He spoke about the current state of cooperation within ASEAN and the association’s further strategic plans. Kao Kim Hourn noted that ASEAN places great emphasis on the development of partner relations with the SCO and is ready to jointly deepen cooperation in various fields, especially in regard of connectivity, trade facilitation, digital economy and green development, to enhance and promote the growth of the well-being of the regional states.