ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Informal Consultations of East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers

The ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Informal Consultations among East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers within the framework of the 43rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Related Meetings take place today on 21 July at the National Convention Center in Ha Noi, under the Chairmanship of H.E Dr. Pham Gia Khiem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam.

At these Meetings, the Dialogue Partners reaffirmed their support for ASEAN’s central role in the regional cooperation processes and in shaping the regional architecture; and undertook to closely work with ASEAN to intensify cooperation programmes and priorities within these two processes, including the contribution of the two processes towards community building in East Asia. ASEAN and these Partners also agreed to work further to strengthen ASEAN connectivity, including in implementing the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, which will also lay foundations for the connectivity in East Asia.

At the ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Ministers reviewed the progress of ASEAN Plus Three’s Cooperation in the past year and discussed the future direction for cooperation. The Ministers agreed to move forward the implementation of ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan (2007-2017) and effectively utilising the ASEAN+3 Cooperation Fund; intensified cooperation in financial-monetary areas, including effective implementation of the Multiralteralisation of the Chiang Mai Initiative (CMIM), fostering the Initiative of Asia Bond Market, strengthening coordination and exchanging macro financial-monetary policies…; strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, in particular, ensuring the on-schedule implementation of FTA+1 agreements between ASEAN and China, and Japan, and ROK; along with promoting feasibility study on the East Asia Free Trade Agreement (EAFTA).

On regional and international issues, ASEAN and the Plus Three countries agreed to enhance policy coordination in global efforts to respond to climate change, especially in the leading up preprations for the COP-16 in Mexico; the Plus Three countries welcomed and supported the regular participation of the ASEAN Chair at the G-20 Summits; the two sides also exchanged views on developments in the Korean Peninsula.  

At the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Informal Consultations, the Ministers focused their discussion on realising the ourcome of  the 4th East Asia Summit as well as preparing for the 5th East Asia Summit. The Ministers noted that this year marks the 5th Anniversary of the EAS process and therefore, shall be an opportune time for participating countries to review the journey passed, while mapping out directions for the years to come. The Ministers reaffirmed the principle and nature of the EAS as a Leaders-led Forum focusing on strategic and policy dialogue in the region. The Ministers agreed to deepen cooperation on five priority areas and enhanced coordination in the global efforts to address global challenges, such as financial crisis and climate change. The Ministers agreed to propose a stand-alone Statement be issued on the occasion of the 5th Anniversary of the EAS by the Fifth East Asia Summit this year.

The Ministers welcomed the expressed interests of Russia and the US to be members of the EAS and will recommend to ASEAN Leaders for a formal decision by the 17th ASEAN Summit. They emphasized ASEAN’s centrality in the process, and reiterated the established principles and goals of the EAS.

At the end of those two Meetings, the Chairman has issued Chairman Statement on the Outcome of the ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the Informal Consultations among EAS Foreign Ministers./.

ASEAN Foreign Ministers and their counterpart from the Republic of Korea had a Working Lunch today on 22 July to discuss preparations for the upcoming G-20 Summit to be held in Seoul, Korea in November 2010, including how best ASEAN could contribute to the Summit./.