16th East Asia Summit

On 27th October, 2021, India participated in the 16th East Asia Summit (EAS) via videoconference. The summit was hosted by Brunei as EAS and ASEAN Chair.

• It saw the participation of leaders from ASEAN countries and other EAS participating countries including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, USA and India. The 17^th East Asia Summit will be held in Cambodia in 2022.

Key Highlights

• EAS’ Role: The important role of the EAS in strengthening multilateralism, maintaining an ASEAN-centered regional architecture, contributing to a rules-based approach managing inter-state relations in the region in accordance with international law in promoting strategic trust was emphasized.
• ASEAN’s Centrality: The leaders reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to work in close partnership with all EAS participating countries to ensure that the EAS continues to be an integral component of the regional architecture.
• EAS Leaders’ Statements: The leaders adopted the EAS Leaders’ Statement on Mental Health Cooperation; the EAS Leaders’ Statement on Economic Growth through Tourism Recovery; and the EAS Leaders’ Statement on Sustainable Recovery.
• Ha Noi Declaration: Commitment to the 2020 Ha Noi Declaration on the Fifteenth Anniversary of the East Asia Summit, which underscores the role of the EAS as the premier Leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on broad strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in East Asia was reaffirmed.
• Areas of Cooperation: The leaders recognised that positive progress has been made in the areas of EAS cooperation under the Manila Plan of Action to Advance the Phnom Penh Declaration on the EAS Development Initiative (2018-2022).
• Regional and International Issues: Discussions on important regional and international issues including Indo-Pacific, South China Sea, UNCLOS, terrorism, and situation in Korean Peninsula and Myanmar were held.