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ASEAN ministerial delegates pose for a photo during the 18th ASEAN Political-Security Community Council Meeting on the sidelines of the 33rd ASEAN summit in Singapore on Tuesday, Nov. 13.[/caption]
Singapore, Nov. 13 (IANS): The 33rd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) opened here on Tuesday with a call for upholding multilateralism and international cooperation to address economic, environmental and terrorism-related challenges.
The summit, a gathering of leaders of Asean’s 10 member countries, will review the regional bloc’s achievements in 2018 in pushing forward community building and integration while mapping out a new course for the year ahead, Xinhua news agency reported.
In a speech at the opening ceremony of the summit, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the strength of the bloc in times of international uncertainty.
“The existing free, open and rules-based multilateral system, which has underpinned Asean’s growth and stability, has come under stress. Countries, including major powers, are resorting to unilateral actions and bilateral deals.
“Asean is greater than the sum of its parts. By coming together in one collective voice... Asean members have strengthened our standing in the world.”
During Singapore’s chairmanship in 2018, Asean member countries redoubled integration efforts and came up with concrete measures that laid the groundwork for a “united, effective and relevant Asean”, Lee said.
Asean reaffirmed its commitment to multilateral trade and made substantial progress towards completing negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), he added.
Lee also called for international cooperation in tackling non-traditional and trans-national threats, including terrorism and climate change.
“These common challenges are complex and unprecedented. We need to pool our ideas and resources to tackle these issues together... multilateralism remains an important basis for international cooperation and for the region’s growth and stability.”
An ongoing trade dispute between Washington and Beijing has threatened to weaken the Asean economy, which was forecast to become the fourth biggest in the world by 2030, after the US, China and the EU.
Lee said the integration process implemented by the group sought to attract investors to some of the most vibrant economies in the region.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the Prime Ministers and Presidents of the Asean countries will meet representatives of allies such as the US, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.