ASEAN Affairs: Union Minister joins AMCA meeting, associated meetings

Loas hosted the 10th ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and Arts (AMCA) Meeting and its associated meetings via videoconferencing on Thursday.

Myanmar delegation led by Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Ko Ko joined the meetings. At the 10th AMCA Meeting, the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos said the sociocultural sector plays a key role in implementing the socio-economic development project in the post-COVID-19 period and pledged to strengthen the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 including the ASCC Strategic Plan 2016-2025, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025 and declarations of AMCA and ASEAN statements to promote the socio-cultural cooperation with ASEAN Plus three countries—China, Japan and Korea.

The Union Minister U Ko Ko said the culture and arts are crucial in the rehabilitation processes of COVID-hit social and economic sectors. He also appreciated the new generations who are participating in conserving the different cultures and customs of ASEAN and ASEAN heritages, promoting cooperation in innovative activities for culture and improving human resources during the outbreak of the pandemic.

He also welcomed the implementation of the Siem Reap Declaration on culture. The Union Minister also said that Myanmar also welcomed the motions of Cambodia proposed at the International Conference on Cultural Property Protection: The Prevention of the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Properties: An ASEAN Perspective held in Cambodia in September 2022 and the AMCA statement.