ASEAN Secretary-General Hopes for Summit to Mark 50 Years of US-ASEAN Relations

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn hopes ASEAN and the United States will hold a high-level meeting to celebrate 50 years of US-ASEAN relations in 2027. Speaking at the opening of the ‘Independence Day 2026: 250 Years of American Independence’ event in Jakarta on Thursday evening, the Secretary-General noted that 2027 will mark five decades of relations and five years of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. “This is a meaningful milestone, a moment to reflect on how far we have come and to reaffirm our commitment to our enduring partnership and to what lies ahead,” Kao said. Kao stated that the US has been one of ASEAN’s most valued and dynamic partners, working together to support peace, stability, and shared prosperity. He noted that ASEAN and the US have built a strong partnership and expanded economic cooperation, with the US being ASEAN’s second-largest trading partner and the second-largest source of foreign direct investment in 2005, including in the fields of education, innovation, and health. However, he continued, figures and statistics do not fully capture the strength of a partnership, as the true value lies in the people-to-people connections built by students, young leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and athletes through various exchange programmes. The ASEAN Secretary-General added that the friendships and bonds forged between communities form the core foundation of the cooperation they have built together. The US Embassy hosted the ‘Independence Day 2026: 250 Years of American Independence’ event in Jakarta on Thursday evening. The event was attended by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Stella Christie, and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and Energy Hashim Djojohadikusumo.