JAKARTA (Antara) – Indonesia hopes the East Asia Summit (EAS) will serve as a regional platform to help countries strengthen mutual trust and intensify cooperation at a time when the world is mired in conflict.
„Let’s focus our energies on what the world needs right now,” Foreign Minister Redno Marsudi told the 14th EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos on Saturday.
According to a statement issued by his office here, Marsudi underlined that the Indo-Pacific is and will continue to be the center of growth for the world. However, ongoing conflicts around the world prevent countries from tackling common challenges.
„We still see dominant trends, which should have been a thing of the past. Our reality is increasingly fierce competition, worsening mutual mistrust and opportunities for miscalculation,” he pointed out.
The Minister stressed the importance of all countries continuing to respect international law to end the conflict.
Marsudi called on the EAS countries to unite and contribute to ending hostilities in Gaza and Ukraine, and ensuring peace and stability in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region.
He added that EAS countries should play an active role in preventing and ending wars, while relentlessly calling for the urgent need to protect justice and human rights.
Talking about the future of East Asia, the minister asked the EAS states to strengthen the role of their ambassadors to enhance regional cooperation.
„They (ambassadors) can discuss not only technical and practical issues but also substantive issues,” he explained.
The Ministerial meeting on Saturday issued a Chairman’s Statement reaffirming the commitment of EAS countries to designate the EAS as a forum to support dialogue and cooperation on shared strategic issues with the aim of creating a peaceful, stable and prosperous East Asia.
During the 45th ASEAN Summit held in October this year, all participating foreign ministers agreed to push for the adoption of the EAS Leaders’ Statement on Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience.
Since its inception in 2005, the EAS has served as an open leaders-led forum to support dialogue among countries in East Asia and neighboring countries. The founding states of the forum are 10 ASEAN countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
The US and Russia officially joined the forum at the 6th EAS Summit in Indonesia in November 2011.
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