Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan's attendance at ASEAN Meetings on the sidelines of the 74th United Nations General Assembly in New York, 28 September 2019

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan attended three ASEAN meetings on the sidelines of the 74^th United Nations (UN) General Assembly – the Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (IAMM); ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with the UN Secretary-General H.E. António Guterres and the President of the 74^th Session of the UN General Assembly (AUMM), H.E. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande; and the 6^th ASEAN-Pacific Alliance Ministerial Meeting.  

At the AUMM, Minister Balakrishnan reaffirmed the strong ties between ASEAN and the UN, and the crucial role of multilateralism in addressing global challenges. The meeting also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern, such as climate change, sustainable development, humanitarian assistance, conflict prevention, and disaster risk reduction. Minister Balakrishnan noted that Southeast Asia is prone to both natural and man-made disasters. 

At the 6^th ASEAN-Pacific Alliance Ministerial Meeting, Minister Balakrishnan underscored the importance for both organisations to strengthen regional integration amidst protectionism and the pushback against multilateralism. He also highlighted that cities in ASEAN and the Pacific Alliance could use the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) to strengthen cooperation.  

At the IAMM, the Meeting reviewed regional cooperation and preparations for the 35^th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

29 SEPTEMBER 2019