18/02/2026
JOINT SUMMARY OF THE WORKING VISIT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF ASEAN TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
11-17 February 2026
1. H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, undertook a working visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, from 11 to 17 February 2026, in conjunction with his participation in the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2026. The visit coincided with the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN–Germany Development Partnership and was supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The visit highlighted a decade of sustained and positive engagement between ASEAN and Germany, and provided an opportunity for both sides to reaffirm their shared commitment to further strengthening cooperation in the years ahead.
2. At MSC 2026, the Secretary-General delivered keynote remarks at the MSC Spotlight on Maritime Security, where he underscored that maritime security is a shared and interconnected responsibility that directly affects trade, energy, and food security, as well as the livelihoods of communities across ASEAN and Europe. He further participated in a high-level GIZ–MSC side event on maritime security titled All Hands on Deck: Upholding Maritime Security in the Indo-Pacific. He emphasised ASEAN’s role in fostering maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, including through collaborative activities under the ambit of ASEAN-led multilateral mechanisms and the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) with external partners. The Secretary-General also participated in a high-level MSC Roundtable titled Power Couples: Trade and Green Energy Cooperation between Europe and the Global South, which discussed trade and climate agreements and explored avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation that advances both economic and climate goals, as well as a MSC Breakfast Session titled Bridges or Battlegrounds? Science Diplomacy between Hard Power and Big Tech, which gathered international experts from science and politics to discuss the evolving understanding of science diplomacy in light of the pressing security issues in the world.
3. On the sidelines of MSC 2026, the Secretary-General held a number of bilateral meetings with, among others, the Deputy Foreign Minister and Minister of State of Germany, H.E. Florian Hahn; the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany, H.E. Stefan Rouenhoff; the Managing Director of GIZ, Ms. Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven; the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, H.E. Andrii Sybiha; and the Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, H.E. Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo.
4. Following MSC 2026, he visited Berlin and met government officials, including the Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, H.E. Reem Alabali Radovan; the Director of the Asia-Pacific Department of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, H.E. Frank Hartmann; and the Director of the German Bundestag, Mr. Paul Göttke. The Secretary-General also held discussions with the Director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and Executive Chairman of the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), Dr. Stefan Mair.
5. The Secretary-General delivered remarks at a Dialogue Forum with leading German think tanks on strategic trends focusing on Europe-Asia relations. Further, he engaged with academic communities through a student dialogue at the Hertie School of Governance, where he held a fireside conversation at the Freie University of Berlin on regional stability amid global disorder, following his visit to the university.
6. The visit to Berlin also featured outreach to the private sector, including his participation at the ASEAN–Germany Business Roundtable at the Haus der Deutschen Wirtschaft on ASEAN’s evolving role in a changing world, which was also attended by the Ambassadors of the ASEAN Member States. The Roundtable was hosted by the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV) and the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), and was followed by a networking session with German businesses.
