KUALA LUMPUR: ASEAN is evaluating the possibility of upgrading Turkiye’s status from a sectoral dialogue partner to a full dialogue partner, according to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He noted that Turkiye has contributed significantly in key areas such as technology, security, defence, and agriculture, while also supporting ASEAN students through scholarships.
“We are considering how to bring Turkiye in as a full dialogue partner of ASEAN in the near future, God willing,” Mohamad said after chairing a trilateral meeting involving Malaysia, Turkiye, and the ASEAN Secretariat.
The meeting, attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn, was held alongside the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-58) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).
Mohamad highlighted that several nations have expressed interest in becoming ASEAN dialogue partners, but a moratorium remains in place due to the high volume of applications.
ASEAN currently maintains 11 dialogue partners, and any expansion must be carefully managed to prevent overextension.
The 58th AMM, under Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability,’ includes 24 ministerial-level meetings over four days. - BERNAMA
