Malaysia has stressed the importance of ASEAN connectivity and centrality as it is important particularly in light of growing interests from other countries and regional organisations to develop stronger ties and cooperation with ASEAN.
Its' foreign minister Anifah Aman said the ASEAN centrality need to be maintained in an effort to further the ASEAN community agenda.
"We must be able to speak in one voice when projecting ASEAN's views as well as in maintaining our positions on issues of common concern," Anifah was quoted in a statement.
"This is crucial particularly in light of growing interests from countries and regional organisations outside our region to develop stronger ties and cooperation with ASEAN," he said.
Anifah said Malaysia is encouraged by the fact that ASEAN, through the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation of ASEAN (TAC), continues to attract the interest from countries globally.
"With more partners coming forward to engage with ASEAN, we should now better manage our cooperative relations with them," he said.
He said ASEAN connectivity also plays an important role in the community building process and people-to-people ties, hence, it facilitates the development of a seamless and borderless region, through enhanced regional integration.
Anifah said Malaysia lauds the efforts to develop project concepts for each of the 15 initiatives under the master plan on ASEAN connectivity (MPAC) 2025.
"50 years ago, against the backdrop of the post-colonisation and conflicts in the region, ASEAN has established to maintain and enhance peace, security and stability in the region.
"Today, I am proud to say that ASEAN has managed to achieve this goal. In fact, ASEAN has evolved and progressed to achieve so much more than what we aspired ASEAN to be," he shared on regional architecture and external relations.
In 2015, he said the establishment of the ASEAN community signalled its commitment to move forward as one for the benefit of the region and its' people.
Anifah said it also profiled ASEAN as an economically successful and politically strategic regional organisation. He said this has brought renewed interest to the region, with major powers knocking on ASEAN's door, making efforts to nurture and further enhance relations with the region.
Today, he said through ASEAN-led mechanisms, ASEAN is recognised as the primary driving force in the regional architecture.
"South China Sea continues to attract regional and international attention. It is imperative that we uphold ASEAN's unity and centrality on this matter. In this regard, an appropriate language on this matter must be reflected in the joint communique," he added.