Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today participated in the 32nd ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat (AEM Retreat) held in Taguig, Philippines. The AEM Retreat was chaired by the Secretary of Trade and Industry of the Philippines and Chair of the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting in 2026, H.E. Ma. Christina A. Roque.
The Ministers expressed their support for ASEAN’s economic priorities under Philippines’ 2026 Chairship under the theme of “Navigating Our Future, Together.” The Ministers also exchanged views on the current regional and global economic developments, enhancement of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Performance Monitoring, as well as a number of key initiatives such as the ongoing negotiations for the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN economic agreements and ASEAN’s external economic relations issues.
The Meeting was preceded by open dialogue sessions with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).