Phnom Penh (FN), Oct. 27 – Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen attended 24th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) summit, held on Wednesday via videoconference.

Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang, Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean president Moon Jae-in and others ASEAN leaders, except Myanmar, also attended the meeting.

According to Cambodia delegate minister Kao Kim Hourn, APT leaders adopted ASEAN Plus Three Leader’s Statement on Cooperation on Mental Health among the Adolescents and Young Children and the Fourth Progress Report on the Implementation of the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Action Plan 2018-2022.

APT leaders also noted that the cooperation within the framework of ASEAN Plus Three, which began in 1997 during Asian financial crisis, can be considered as an important mechanism for East Asian cooperation.

ASEAN leaders highlighted active efforts of Plus Three countries for contributing to the fight against COVID19. The three countries also assist ASEAN member countries, especially in the field of public health.

In addition, the APT leaders highlighted the existing mechanisms, particularly, within the framework of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, as well as the ASEAN community building.

APT leaders underlined that the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan will be completed this year and put into implementation next year along with the ASEAN Plus Three Work Plan for 2023-2027, which will be adopted in 2022 during Cambodia's chairmanship of ASEAN.

APT leaders also stressed the need for ASEAN Plus Three countries to ratify the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to ensure the entry into force of the Agreement in early 2022, with the aim of promoting recovery and stimulating regional economic growth.

The ASEAN leaders urged Plus Three countries to provide more active support for the implementation of regional mechanisms, namely the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED), the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies (RRMS), the ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement Framework (ATCAF), and the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF).

APT leaders also exchanged views on regional issues, including the South China Sea, Myanmar and the Korean Peninsula.
=FRESH NEWS