The 11th ASEAN- US Summit opens in Jakarta on September 7. (Photo: VNA) Jakarta (VNA) - The member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the US adopted a joint statement on the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), at the 11th ASEAN- US Summit in Jakarta on September 7.
Regarding maritime cooperation, the two sides committed to expand cooperation on sustainable management of marine resources; strengthen capacity to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; protect the livelihood of coastal communities; support small-scale fishing communities; promote maritime commerce; expand efforts to protect and conserve marine environments; and improve maritime domain awareness.
Both sides agreed to enhance maritime cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms by upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, reaffirming the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and promoting cooperation and coordination among relevant agencies in order to improve maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, protection, restoration and sustainable management of the marine environment, as well as maritime safety, security and education.
Referring to connectivity, the two sides entrusted to promote cooperation and partnerships that support digital innovation, seamless logistics, regulatory excellence, and sustainable infrastructure; enhance human capital development; build people-to-people connectivity through ASEAN-led mechanisms; and support ASEAN’s infrastructure and connectivity in line with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025.
They also agreed to further promote stability, peace, prosperity, and sustainable development of the Mekong subregion through shared initiatives under the Mekong-US Partnership (MUSP); support narrowing the development gap in ASEAN in order to realise a collaborative ASEAN Community; advance efforts to accelerate progress and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 through cooperation in food security, health security and the building of resilient health systems, gender equality, human rights, clean energy and climate action, smart and sustainable cities, environmental conservation, transparency; and accelerate clean and just energy transition and the fight against climate change.
In economic and other possible areas of cooperation, ASEAN and the US consented to deepen economic cooperation, promoting financial stability, resilience, and anti-corruption; facilitate trade and investment; enhance cooperation on trade facilitation, logistics infrastructure, and on services; and enhance engagement to contribute to sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic growth.
The two sides also supported cooperation on digital economy, cybersecurity, and cooperation that builds an open, safe, secure, stable, accessible, interoperable, peaceful and resilient cyberspace; and sought to engage collaboration among other countries, regional and sub-regional mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions to work with ASEAN on specific areas of common interests to complement the relevant initiatives through innovative./.
