EAST ASIA SUMMIT MUST BE “MORE THAN A TALK SHOP”
The 20th East Asia Summit (EAS) was also on the list of closed-door meetings that took place on the second day of the ASEAN summit held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
In that meeting, Mr Wong stressed the importance of finding common ground and transforming “discussions … into practical outcomes”.
The EAS brings together ASEAN member states with eight key partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
Established in 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, it was envisioned as a forum to strengthen global norms while promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in East Asia.
Two decades on, Mr Wong said the EAS “remains the only forum with the ability to convene all the key players” in the region.
“We may have different perspectives in some areas. In fact, we do have different perspectives in some areas but here at the EAS, we can discuss matters of shared concern and shared interest,” he said.
This is essential for building trust and paving the way for collaboration in areas ranging from disaster management to combating scams, he added.
But Mr Wong also cautioned that the EAS “must be more than a talk shop”.
Members are encouraged to come up with initiatives under the four priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, which provides a framework for tangible cooperation.
“We must translate words into actions … if two or more EAS members agree to work together on practical projects, we should support them,” he said at the meeting.
