To implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, noted by ASEAN Leaders at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in September 2023, the leading bodies of the three ASEAN Community pillars have begun drafting each pillar's strategic plan, expected to be completed by the end of 2025. As the lead body responsible for overseeing and monitoring the development of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Plan for 2026-2030 with a vision to 2045, the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) has established the AEC Working Group (WG-AEC). This group is directly tasked with drafting the plan, reviewing, and consolidating feedback and proposals from relevant sectoral bodies under AEC on key priorities, objective and specific activities. Since 2023, the WG-AEC has organized eight meetings.

The 9th WG-AEC meeting will continue discussions on the draft AEC Strategic Plan for 2026-2030 with a vision toward 2045, aiming to build the ASEAN Economic Community as:

1. An action-oriented community – Realising an integrated single market and production base with new sources of competitiveness;
2. A sustainable community – Engendering and mainstreaming climate-responsive elements and policies in all dimensions
3. An Enterprising, Bold, and Innovative Community – Enhancing sectoral cooperation, attuned to emerging trends and developments;
4. An Adaptable and Pro-Active Community– Strengthened Global ASEAN Agenda;
5. A Nimble and Resilient Community – Empowering the AEC and ASEAN peoples withstanding shocks, stresses, crises, and volatility;
6. An Inclusive, Participatory, and Collaborative Community – Leaving no one behind, charting people-centred ASEAN

To date, the AEC Strategic Plan 2026-2030 has outlined 47 objectives and approximately 210 strategic measures (149 of which have gained preliminary consensus, while 61 remain under discussion by relevant sectoral bodies under AEC).

With regard to the above-mentioned agenda, the 9th meeting will focus on (i) identifying the “quick wins” of the AEC Strategic Plan 2026-2030, which is planned to be completed in the initial phase to address ASEAN's immediate post-2025 priorities and (ii) discussing the preliminarily identified list of Key Outcome Indicators (KOIs) to the Objectives of the AEC Strategic Plan 2026–2030. These priorities are expected to be disseminated the business communitíe and relevant sectoral bodies under AEC for consultation.

The AEC Strategic Plan 2026-2030, with a vision for 2045, is expected to be finalized on schedule in May 2025 at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.

Additionally, the meeting will discuss mechanisms for cross-pillar cooperation within the ASEAN Community in the post-2025 environment. This agenda is considered crucial for post-2025 ASEAN cooperation, especially in addressing emerging issues such as the digital economy, green economy, circular economy, and carbon neutrality, etc. These matters require close collaboration not only within each pillar but also among the three pillars of the ASEAN Community.