VIENTIANE: Indonesia has expressed a strong desire for the East Asia Summit (EAS) to act as a regional platform for enhancing mutual trust and increasing cooperation amid global conflicts.
At the 14th EAS Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on Saturday, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi urged nations to focus their efforts on addressing the world’s pressing needs.
Marsudi said that while the Indo-Pacific region remains the global center of growth, ongoing global conflicts are obstructing efforts to tackle common challenges.
She highlighted that current global conditions are marked by hegemonic tendencies, intense rivalries, and rising mutual distrust, which increase the risk of miscalculation.
She stressed the need for all countries to uphold international law to resolve conflicts and called on EAS member countries to unite in efforts to end hostilities in Gaza and Ukraine, and to ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
Marsudi urged EAS nations to play a proactive role in preventing and halting wars, while advocating for justice and human rights. She also suggested that EAS countries enhance the role of their ambassadors to bolster regional cooperation, addressing both technical and substantive issues.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of a Chairman’s Statement reaffirming the EAS’s commitment to being a forum for dialogue and cooperation on strategic issues, with the goal of fostering a peaceful, stable, and prosperous East Asia.
The foreign ministers also agreed to advocate for the adoption of the EAS Leaders’ Statement on Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience at the 45th ASEAN Summit in October.
Established in 2005, the EAS is a leaders-led forum that promotes dialogue among East Asian and adjacent countries. Its founding members include the 10 ASEAN countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. The United States and Russia officially joined the forum at the 6th EAS Summit in Indonesia in November 2011.
