Phnom Penh (FN), Oct. 27 – East Asian dialogue partners expressed their support for multilateralism, which is one of the key policies to tackle COVID19 crisis and other common regional and global issues, speaking at the 16th East Asian summit held on Wednesday via videoconference.

East Asia Summit has 18 member countries, including 10 ASEAN member countries and eight dialogue partners namely Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

General director of the World Health Organization (WHO) and general director of World Trade Organization (WTO) also attended the meeting.

According to Cambodian delegate minister Kao Kim Hourn, the leaders adopted three main statements namely the EAS Leaders’ Statement on Mental Health Cooperation, EAS Leaders’ Statement on Economic Growth Through Tourism Recovery and the EAS Leaders’ Statement on Sustainable Recovery.

The general directors of WHO and WTO also updated the current health and trade situation over the past 18 months to the leaders of the 18 countries.

The leaders underlined ASEAN’s core role in East Asia Summit and the importance of ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) to ensure peace, stability and security in the region.

In addition, the leaders discussed possible areas of cooperation, including the fight against COVID19, the post-COVID19 economic recovery, as well as the cooperation in green energy, education and so on.

On the occasion, all leaders committed to uphold and promote multilateral cooperation and partnership to address emerging opportunities and challenges and actively shape a rules-based regional architecture that is capable of tackling pressing common regional and global issues towards achieving peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond.
=FRESH NEWS