The 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 10-11, adopted the Chairman’s statement, emphasizing the importance of building ASEAN’s identity, value, vitality, and prestige.During the Summit, the leaders of member countries expressed their support for and emphasized the strategic significance of the theme “ASEAN matters: Epicentrum of Growth.” They discussed some core issues determining the identity, values, vitality, and prestige of ASEAN, which are maintaining independence and self-reliance, turning itself into a growth epicenter, and better adapting to external shocks.The leaders agreed to further the ASEAN Community building process by fully implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, at the same time discussing and outlining the future of the ASEAN Community for the next 20 years. The leaders emphasized the most important spirit of ASEAN is to put people at the center and as the goals and driving force of Community building. With that intention, ASEAN leaders agreed to beef up ASEAN’s joint efforts to narrow the intra-regional development gap and strengthen ASEAN’s sustainable development agenda, realizing a cooperative, inclusive community with no development gap between countries.Key issues on the agenda included strengthening health architecture, energy security, regional food and financial stability, and digitization of the economy and the tourism sector. The leaders emphasized that expanding the internal market is an urgent requirement to promote recovery and sustainable development amid global uncertainties. In this context, ASEAN should step up cooperation in the digital economy, digital government, and circular economy. In addition, ASEAN member countries should make efforts in negotiations to advance the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, and concertedly and drastically roll out projects on regional connectivity in terms of institutions, infrastructure, and people, thus creating quality changes in the investment, business, and tourism environment.In discussing ASEAN’s external relations, the leaders stressed ASEAN has never been in such a good position as well as facing unprecedented challenges and intense strategic competition from major powers after more than half a century of formation and development. What’s more, the emergence of multifaceted and transnational issues such as climate change, epidemics, cybercrime, human trafficking, and transnational crime requires coordinated efforts from all countries. More than ever, the regional bloc’s solidarity, self-reliance, and strategic autonomy must be maintained and promoted amid the current context. This serves as a prerequisite to ensuring the success, role, prestige, and position of ASEAN. In-depth discussions on international and regional issues reaffirmed ASEAN’s principled stance, with particular emphasis on the importance of peace, security, and stability in the South China Sea.The leaders reaffirmed ASEAN’s principled stance, emphasized the importance of peace, security, and stability in the South China Sea, the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and striving to achieve a substantive, effective, and legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) that is consistent with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Code seeks to serve as a guideline for conduct to prevent military incidents and manage conflict in the South China Sea.They also discussed assistance to Myanmar and the promotion of ASEAN’s role in supporting Myanmar, accelerating the effective implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, and shared concerns about the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war, emphasizing adherence to the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.The leaders agreed to effectively and practically implement cooperation frameworks within ASEAN and with its partners, share experiences, and support capacity building to enable ASEAN to respond effectively to these challenges.
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