ASEAN Overview
What is ASEAN?
The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded in 1967. ASEAN’s founding members agreed on the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 1976.
ASEAN now brings together eleven Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
The ASEAN Community has three pillars covering Political-Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural issues.
In July 2025, the total combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the ten ASEAN Member States at that time was in excess of £3.8 trillion, making ASEAN, even before Timor-Leste joined in 2026, equivalent to the fifth largest economy in the world.
Further reading:
ASEAN-UK Partnership
In 2012, the UK acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC).
In November 2019, the UK opened its mission to ASEAN and appointed the first UK Ambassador to ASEAN. The UK has Embassies or High Commissions in all eleven ASEAN Member States.
On 5 August 2021, the UK became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, the first new Dialogue Partner in 25 years.
In September 2021, the UK attended the first ASEAN Economic Ministers-UK Consultation, the first Ministerial meeting since becoming a Dialogue Partner. At this meeting, the ASEAN-UK Joint Ministerial Declaration on Future Economic Cooperation was agreed.
In July 2022, the UK hosted the first ASEAN-UK Senior Officials Meeting in London.
On 4 August 2022, the first ASEAN/UK Plan of Action was agreed, outlining cooperation with ASEAN over the next 5 years across Political and Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural issues.
In September 2022, the UK attended the second ASEAN Economic Minister-UK Consultation.
In June 2023, Brunei hosted the second ASEAN-UK Senior Officials Meeting.
In July 2023, the UK Foreign Secretary attended the first annual ASEAN-UK Post Ministerial Council in Jakarta.
