EAS Foreign Ministers Reaffirm Commitment To Strengthen Strategic Dialogue Platform
Malaysia's Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (centre) poses for a group photo during the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Cooperation Among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD IV) in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and related meetings at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
By Nazira Hasanah Nasaruddin & Ahmad Aidil Syukri Hamzah
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Bernama) -- The East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the EAS as the premier leaders-led platform for strategic dialogue and regional cooperation, amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.
According to the ASEAN Chairman's Statement issued after the 15th EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting here, the ministers underlined the forum's role in promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in East Asia, in line with the ASEAN Charter and key regional declarations including the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
They reiterated that the EAS must remain open, inclusive and ASEAN-centred while upholding a rules-based regional architecture grounded in international law and the United Nations Charter.
The meeting also emphasised the importance of fostering strategic trust and ensuring responsible, transparent and predictable behaviour among nations, with full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Amid shifting global dynamics, the ministers acknowledged the urgency of reinforcing the EAS's relevance and effectiveness, particularly as the summit approaches its 20th anniversary.
The ministers reaffirmed ASEAN's central role as the region's convenor for strategic dialogue and stressed the value of confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
They also called for deeper collaboration through ASEAN-led mechanisms and greater synergy across existing regional institutions to avoid duplication and promote coherence in addressing regional challenges.
Efforts to improve the EAS's internal coordination and follow-up mechanisms were also noted, including the need for more timely implementation of leaders' decisions during inter-sessional periods.
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