Foreign Minister: ASEAN Plans to Upgrade Turkey to Comprehensive Dialogue Partner

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan pointed out that ASEAN is considering upgrading Turkey from a Sectoral Dialogue Partner to a Comprehensive Dialogue Partner in the near future.

He said that as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner, Turkey has played a positive role in many areas, including technology, security, defense, and agriculture, and has provided scholarships for students from ASEAN countries.

“Therefore, we are considering how to make Turkey a Comprehensive Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in the near future.”

He made this statement after chairing a tripartite meeting between Malaysia, Turkey, and the ASEAN Secretariat today.

This meeting lasted about 30 minutes and was attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn. The meeting was held during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings.

Mohamad Hasan mentioned that at present, many countries have expressed their desire to become either Sectoral Dialogue Partners or Comprehensive Dialogue Partners of ASEAN. However, due to the large number of applications, ASEAN has implemented a moratorium mechanism.

He said that ASEAN already has 11 Dialogue Partners, so any new member requires careful consideration to avoid burdening the existing framework.

On the other hand, according to additional information from Mohamad Hasan's press release after the tripartite meeting, both sides will promote economic relations through the "Turkey-ASEAN Business and Investment Forum" and support the development and innovation of small, medium, and micro enterprises.

In the socio-cultural sphere, both sides are promoting projects such as the “Türkiye Scholarships–ASEAN Joint Scholarship Program,” the ASEAN Diplomat Training Program, and proposed cooperation in technical and vocational education, to strengthen people-to-people ties and long-term cross-cultural understanding.

He also emphasized that ASEAN and Turkey share common values, making both sides natural partners in championing multilateralism, peace, equality, justice, and humanitarianism on the global stage.