The 32nd Asean Summit: SINGAPORE – Asean seek to enhance the bloc’s resilience and innovation
The 32nd Asean Summit wrapped up in Singapore on Saturday, highlighting Asean priorities to move towards enhancing the bloc’s resilience and innovation.
Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith led a high-level Lao delegation to attend the summit which proceeded under the theme of ‘Resilient and Innovative Asean’.
The summit, also attended by other Asean leaders, adopted three significant documents, reflecting Asean’s commitment to strengthen their cooperation and common vision.
The three documents included ‘Asean Leaders’ Vision for a Resilient and Innovative Asean’, the ‘Asean Leaders’ Statement on Cybersecurity Cooperation’ and the ‘Asean Smart Cities Network’.
During the summit, Asean leaders discussed and exchanged views with regards to strengthen and modernise the Asean Community to better deal with challenges and ensure greater development and economic integration of the ten nations’ bloc, according to Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the summit, the Lao PM emphasised that in order to strengthen and modernise Asean Community, it’s critical to reinforce Asean member countries.
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Mr Thongloun called for Asean nations to assist one another, notably in transfer of technology, in a move to narrow development disparity and give more priorities to emerging Asean economies to move forwards.
With regards to external cooperation, Asean leaders highly valued the accomplishment of Asean in bolstering cooperation with its dialogue partners.
Nevertheless the leaders stressed the importance of enhancing the role of the nations’ grouping and maintaining Asean centrality amidst global changes.
In addition, Asean leaders discussed and exchanged views about international and regional issues of mutual interests, particularly complex changes in global politics and economies. These included issues related to trade protectionism, the Syrian conflict and inter-Korean summit.
The Lao PM expressed his delight at the outcome of the historical summit between the Koreas on April 27, resulting in signing of Panmunjom Declaration for peace, prosperity and unification of Korean peninsula, laying a fundamental step to move towards complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the peninsula.
Asean was established in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand to promote political and economic cooperation and regional stability.
The Asean Community was established in 2015, becoming a single market of over 620 million people and production base with a combined GDP of US$2.6 trillion, ranking as the 7th largest economy in the world.
Asean nations also seek to further ensure the free-flow of goods, services, investments, and skilled labour, and the freer movement of capital across the region.
Laos joined Asean membership in 1997 and hosted the Asean summit for the first time in 2004.
In September 2016, Laos successfully hosted the 28th and 29th Asean Summits which have been lauded by international communities.
Asean, established in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. / By Times Reporters / (Latest Update April 30, 2018
