Academia
ASEAN’s 60th anniversary next year offers an occasion for both reflecting on the progress it has made thus far and considering the transformative efforts it must undertake to fulfill one of its founder's visions: a Southeast Asia that stands on its own feet.
Foreign Minister Sugiono (third right) stands with his regional counterparts (from left) Myanmar's Hau Khan Sum, Malaysia’s Mohamad Hasan, Thailand's Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Timor-Leste's Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Vietnam's deputy minister Dang Hoang Giang, the Philippine’s Theresa Lazaro, Singapore's Vivian Balakrishnan, Brunei's Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prak Sokhonn and Laos' Thongsavanh Phomvihane, along with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn (right), for a “family photo” on July 21, 2026, during the opening ceremony of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) in Manila. (Reuters/Pool/Aaron Favila)
Nearly six decades ago, one of the founding fathers of ASEAN, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Adam Malik, envisioned a Southeast Asia capable of standing on its own feet. At the height of the Cold War, he believed the region should be “strong enough to defend itself against any negative influence from outside the region”.Today, his vision continues to resonate strongly.
