ISSI Marks 58th ASEAN Day with Roundtable on Strengthening ASEAN-Pakistan Ties
ISSI Commemorates 58th ASEAN DAY with Roundtable on ‘Pakistan and ASEAN: Partners in Peace, Progress, and Regional Prosperity’
Islamabad – August 7, 2025 (Adnan Hameed) : The China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad (ACI), commemorated 58th ASEAN Day with a special Roundtable titled “Pakistan and ASEAN: Partners in Peace, Progress, and Regional Prosperity”.
The Roundtable brought together Heads of Mission of ASEAN member states in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Ambassadors/ High Commissioners posted in ASEAN capitals, and senior officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Additional Foreign Secretary (Asia Pacific), was the Chief Guest. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General ISSI, delivered welcome remarks, while Dr. Talat Shabbir, Director CPSC, moderated the session.
In his remarks, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to a deeper, mutually-beneficial partnership with ASEAN. He appreciated the collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad (ACI) in organizing the RoundTable Dialogue. Highlighting ASEAN’s transformation into a global economic powerhouse with a GDP exceeding $4.2 trillion, he lauded its resilience, unity, and commitment to peace, stability, inclusive growth, economic integration and socio-cultural collaboration. He emphasized ASEAN’s newly adopted Community Vision 2045 as a timely blueprint to address global challenges and realize the new opportunities.
Ambassador Mahmood noted a 23% growth in Pakistan-ASEAN trade in 2024 and stressed the potential for synergies with CPEC and RCEP. He underscored people-to-people ties, youth engagement, and cultural interface as critical pillars of this partnership. He highlighted ISSI’s contributions, including the establishment of the ‘ASEAN Corner’ and the special ASEAN issue of PIVOT magazine. Calling ASEAN a pillar of dialogue and stability, he reiterated Pakistan’s quest for a Full Dialogue Partner status and reaffirmed ISSI’s commitment to advancing Pakistan-ASEAN cooperation through dedicated research, dialogue, and strategic engagement.
A special video message from Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, acknowledged Pakistan’s long-standing role as ASEAN’s first Sectoral Dialogue Partner and welcomed the growing economic and institutional ties between both sides. He emphasized Pakistan’s contributions to peace, development, and regional connectivity, and expressed support for deepening cooperation under the ASEAN-Pakistan Practical Cooperation Areas 2024–2028.
Wunna Han, Ambassador of Myanmar and Acting Chair of ACI, lauded progress in Pakistan-ASEAN cooperation, urged continued support for ASEAN Vision 2045 and key initiatives, and shared thoughts on ways to further elevate the ASEAN-Pakistan partnership. ASEAN Heads of Missions including from Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia, shared perspectives on advancing collaboration in political, economic, security, and socio-cultural spheres. They appreciated Pakistan’s continued engagement with ASEAN frameworks and reiterated support for a deeper and enhanced partnership between Pakistan and ASEAN.
Pakistan’s Heads of Mission posted in ASEAN capitals made important interventions. They highlighted progress on Practical Cooperation Areas, growing bilateral engagements, and identified new avenues for collaboration in areas such as Fintech, digital economy, sustainable development, trade, tourism, and cultural diplomacy. They emphasized the need for institutional linkages and high-level exchanges to broaden ASEAN-Pakistan ties, and expressed confidence in the potential of this partnership to contribute to regional peace and prosperity.
Chief Guest Ambassador Imran Siddiqui reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to ASEAN under the Vision East Asia policy. He emphasized ASEAN’s importance as a model for regional cooperation and highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic presence in nine ASEAN capitals. He noted the opportunities for deepening integration through initiatives such as CPEC, regional connectivity, capacity building, and people-centric development.
Ambassador Imran Siddiqui called for Pakistan’s elevation to Full Dialogue Partner status, emphasizing: “Pakistan views its partnership with ASEAN as a convergence of strategic destiny. The time, we believe, has come to graduate this engagement to the level of Full Dialogue Partnership, an evolution justified by visions, history and aspiration.”
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman BoG ISSI, highlighted ASEAN’s remarkable journey as one of the most successful regional organizations and reaffirmed Pakistan’s active engagement with ASEAN and its related forums. He expressed hope for Pakistan’s elevation to Full Dialogue Partner status to further deepen bilateral cooperation. He also appreciated ISSI’s role in strengthening Pakistan-ASEAN ties through research, education, and policy dialogue.
Earlier, Dr. Talat Shabbir, Director CPSC, welcomed the participants and underscored ASEAN’s continued relevance as a pillar of peace, resilience, and consensus-building.
The event concluded with the traditional ASEAN handshake and cutting of cake to mark the ASEAN Day (on 8 August).
