ASEAN to keep on consensus, inclusivity: Malaysian official

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Consensus and inclusivity will remain the guiding principles of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the grouping continues to engage with external partners while welcoming new members, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said in Kuala Lumpur.

He also urged ASEAN to uphold its unity and strategic resolve amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and mounting external pressures, the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, following the Plenary Session of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) held on Wednesday.

The statement said that during the meeting, ASEAN foreign ministers welcomed the adoption of the Guidelines to Facilitate Timor-Leste's Accession to ASEAN Legal Instruments, and urged member states to complete the necessary procedural steps ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit.

The meeting also reviewed matters related to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and will be welcoming Algeria and Uruguay's signing ceremony of the Instrument of Accession to the TAC later.

The foreign ministers also took note of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Annual Report 2025 and endorsed AICHR's Priority Programs and Five-Year Work Plan (2026-2030).

Additionally, the meeting proposed the adoption of the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, marking a continued commitment to human dignity, social development, and regional justice. Enditem