Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
Prime Minister

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Laos on Wednesday to attend the annual East Asia Summit (EAS).

The EAS, convened by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), brings together eighteen Indo-Pacific leaders, including New Zealand.

“The EAS is an important opportunity to discuss strategic issues, which continue to be on an increasingly challenging trajectory across the Indo-Pacific,” Mr Luxon says.

“With so many counterparts in Vientiane, I look forward to meeting formally and informally with leaders from across the region to advance New Zealand’s interests.

“Elevating New Zealand’s relationship with ASEAN is a particular priority, and that will be under discussion while in Laos,” Mr Luxon says.

As well as participating in EAS, Mr Luxon has a substantial number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts, and he will also speak at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.

Prime Minister Luxon returns to New Zealand on Saturday 12 October.

Note:

• ASEAN comprises 10 Southeast Asian countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Timor-Leste is beginning the process of accession as the 11th member of ASEAN.
• New Zealand is a founding member of the East Asia Summit, a forum for strategic dialogue and cooperation on political, security, economic and social issues of common concern. In addition to the 10 ASEAN Member States, it comprises Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America.

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