KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- ASEAN expects more countries to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) at the 49th ASEAN Summit in November, as the treaty marks its 50th anniversary, TV BRICS reported, quoting ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn.
The treaty currently has 62 High Contracting Parties, including Russia.
“We expect a number of other countries to join this treaty during the 49th ASEAN Summit. This is highly significant for us, because the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation now has global geographical reach: countries from different regions of the world have joined it,” he said in an exclusive interview with TV BRICS.
The treaty’s 50th anniversary coincides with the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship this year.
Meanwhile, Kao said the summit would also see the signing of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which he described as the world’s first legally binding regional agreement regulating the digital economy.
The agreement aims to expand ASEAN’s digital economy from US$300 billion in 2025 to US$2 trillion by 2030.
“We're not building 10 or 11 digital economies; it's going to be one digital economy working together among the member states. And it will be very significant because it is the first region-wide legally binding agreement,” he told TV BRICS.
Negotiations on DEFA began in September 2023 and concluded in May 2026, with member states currently conducting an internal legal review of the text.
Following its signing, work on an implementation plan will proceed alongside the ratification process.
The agreement will cover micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the informal sector, with its scope encompassing digital payments, data flows, cybersecurity, e-commerce and data centres.
Kao also said ASEAN expected further progress on the ASEAN Power Grid initiative following the recent ASEAN Energy Ministers Meeting.
-- BERNAMA