Winston Peters Heads to Laos for Key ASEAN-Led Ministerial Meetings

“ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr. Peters stated.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters is set to travel to Laos this week to participate in a series of ASEAN-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.

"ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific," Mr. Peters stated.

"This will be our third visit to Southeast Asia and sixth visit to an ASEAN member state since the start of the year. Through concrete actions, we are demonstrating our steadfast commitment to the region, which is central to New Zealand's prosperity and security."

Mr. Peters will also participate in the annual Foreign Ministers' meetings of the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum, which bring together ASEAN and its key Indo-Pacific partners. Mr. Peters' experience with the Summit dates back nearly 20 years, having attended the inaugural Foreign Ministers' meeting in December 2005 and a further eight meetings since then.

"With next year marking 50 years since New Zealand became an ASEAN dialogue partner, these meetings present a valuable opportunity to engage our partners on strategic issues facing the wider region and advance practical cooperation in areas such as maritime security, counter-terrorism, transnational crime, and cybersecurity," Mr. Peters remarked.

Additionally, Mr. Peters will hold several bilateral meetings with counterparts on the sidelines of the ASEAN-led events.