Representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have reaffirmed the importanceof ASEAN-ROK Strategic Partnership and agreed to enhance cooperation andfurther strengthen the relationship.
These werethe key outcomes of the 19th ASEAN-RoK Dialogue held on May 29 in Bali,Indonesia, according to a new release from the ASEAN Secretariat.
They discussed regional and international issues of common interestand concern and agreed to work together to promote peace and stability.
Both sides acknowledged the strong momentum of relationsparticularly since the Special Leaders’ Summit held in Seoul in December2014 to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-RoK DialoguePartnership.
ASEAN is the RoK’s second largest trading partnerand both sides committed to increase the two-way trade volume to reach200 billion USD by 2020 from 131 billion USD in 2014.
Inaddition to the ASEAN-Korea Centre which was established in Seoul in2009, the RoK intends to establish an ASEAN Culture House in Busan whichwould serve to boost bilateral cultural cooperation andpeople-to-people contact.
The plan is to complete the Culture House by 2017 to coincide with ASEAN’s 50th Anniversary.
Substantive progress has been made in cooperation projects under thecurrent Plan of Action (2011-2015) in areas such as food, agricultureand forestry, infrastructure development, science and technology, healthand assisting ASEAN narrow the development gap.
A new Plan ofAction is being developed for the period 2016-2020 which will provide acomprehensive framework and practical measures to further strengthen themutually beneficial cooperation.
During the meeting, bothsides shared their perspectives on the changing geopolitical landscapeand recent developments in the Southeast and Northeast Asia regionsnoting that instability in either could have implications for the widerEast Asian region.
Both sides emphasised the importance ofensuring peace and stability in the East Sea, including the maintenanceof maritime security, freedom of navigation and freedom of over-flightwhich is a vital regional interest.
ASEAN and theRoK also agreed to strengthen cooperation to jointly address emergingnon-traditional security challenges such as transnational crimesincluding international terrorism and violent extremism, climate changeand disaster management.
The RoK is committed to work togetherwith ASEAN in the ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the ASEAN Plus One,ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Defense Ministers’ MeetingPlus and East Asia Summit to promote regional peace and prosperity andshape the future regional architecture.
The RoK reaffirmed itssupport for ASEAN’s central role in these regional frameworks. ASEANacknowledged the active role and contribution of the RoK in promotingEast Asian integration.-VNA
These werethe key outcomes of the 19th ASEAN-RoK Dialogue held on May 29 in Bali,Indonesia, according to a new release from the ASEAN Secretariat.
They discussed regional and international issues of common interestand concern and agreed to work together to promote peace and stability.
Both sides acknowledged the strong momentum of relationsparticularly since the Special Leaders’ Summit held in Seoul in December2014 to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-RoK DialoguePartnership.
ASEAN is the RoK’s second largest trading partnerand both sides committed to increase the two-way trade volume to reach200 billion USD by 2020 from 131 billion USD in 2014.
Inaddition to the ASEAN-Korea Centre which was established in Seoul in2009, the RoK intends to establish an ASEAN Culture House in Busan whichwould serve to boost bilateral cultural cooperation andpeople-to-people contact.
The plan is to complete the Culture House by 2017 to coincide with ASEAN’s 50th Anniversary.
Substantive progress has been made in cooperation projects under thecurrent Plan of Action (2011-2015) in areas such as food, agricultureand forestry, infrastructure development, science and technology, healthand assisting ASEAN narrow the development gap.
A new Plan ofAction is being developed for the period 2016-2020 which will provide acomprehensive framework and practical measures to further strengthen themutually beneficial cooperation.
During the meeting, bothsides shared their perspectives on the changing geopolitical landscapeand recent developments in the Southeast and Northeast Asia regionsnoting that instability in either could have implications for the widerEast Asian region.
Both sides emphasised the importance ofensuring peace and stability in the East Sea, including the maintenanceof maritime security, freedom of navigation and freedom of over-flightwhich is a vital regional interest.
ASEAN and theRoK also agreed to strengthen cooperation to jointly address emergingnon-traditional security challenges such as transnational crimesincluding international terrorism and violent extremism, climate changeand disaster management.
The RoK is committed to work togetherwith ASEAN in the ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the ASEAN Plus One,ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Defense Ministers’ MeetingPlus and East Asia Summit to promote regional peace and prosperity andshape the future regional architecture.
The RoK reaffirmed itssupport for ASEAN’s central role in these regional frameworks. ASEANacknowledged the active role and contribution of the RoK in promotingEast Asian integration.-VNA
