Jakarta, May 6 (AseanAll) — ASEAN and Norway reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation under the ASEAN-Norway Sectoral Dialogue Partnership at the 10th ASEAN-Norway Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee Meeting held at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat on May 6, 2025.
As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN-Norway Sectoral Dialogue Partnership, both sides utilised this momentum to reflect on the maturity of the partnership nurtured over the past decade and chart the way forward. In this context, the Meeting welcomed the introduction of the commemorative logo, as well as other commemorative activities to mark the milestone occasion.
ASEAN and Norway noted ongoing developments in ASEAN, including Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship priorities under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”; updates on the implementation of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan IV; progress on the ASEAN Smart Cities Network initiative; and ASEAN’s efforts to promote sustainable development. Concurrently, the Meeting took note of recent developments in Norway, including its efforts in navigating the current international and regional uncertainties and its support to the principles of international law and multilateralism, as well as the reform of the United Nations.
Both ASEAN and Norway were pleased to note the progress in the implementation of the ASEAN-Norway Sectoral Dialogue Partnership: Practical Cooperation Areas (PCA) 2021-2025. In this final implementation year, the Meeting recognised the merit of implementing the remaining action lines in the PCA. As both sides embark on the negotiation of a new ASEAN-Norway PCA for the period 2026-2030, the Meeting noted the need for the successor document to be ambitious and adaptable to future challenges, yet practical and implementable.
Both sides also noted the need to foster closer cooperation in areas of common concern namely, peace and reconciliation, trade and investment, renewable energy and green energy transition, green shipping, smart cities, digitalisation, circular economy, climate change, environmental protection, biodiversity, ocean sustainability, aquaculture, blue economy, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), higher education, as well as people-to-people exchanges, connectivity and narrowing the development gap.
The Meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, Nararya S. Soeprapto, and Ambassador of Norway to ASEAN, Kjell Tormod Pettersen. It was attended by the Permanent Representatives to ASEAN or their representatives, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, and their respective delegations. Timor-Leste participated as Observer.
