ASEAN Summit Concludes with Kuala Lumpur Declaration, Trump's Role Acknowledged
The 26th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur concluded with the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration. This document, while not explicitly mentioning a U.S. representative, saw U.S. President Donald Trump play a key role in regional discussions, including the Thailand-Cambodia conflict.
The declaration, like its predecessors - the 2010 Ha Noi Declaration, 2015 Kuala Lumpur Declaration, and 2020 Ha Noi Declaration - reiterated ASEAN's commitment to peace, social development, and economic progress. It also recognised the importance of the 2005 Kuala Lumpur Declaration and the 2011 Bali Principles for continued cooperation.
The declaration emphasised ASEAN's centrality and unity within ASEAN-led mechanisms, with ASEAN as the driving force in the East Asia Summit. It reaffirmed commitment to the 2005 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the East Asia Summit and expressed a collective desire for a peaceful environment conducive to deeper cooperation. The document also called for close partnerships with other countries to promote strategic trust and responsible behaviour.
The declaration acknowledged the considerable progress made by the East Asia Summit over 20 years and called for its further strengthening. It also recognised current geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties, security threats, and transboundary challenges in the world and the region.
The Kuala Lumpur Declaration reaffirmed the participating countries' commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, ASEAN Charter, and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). With these commitments and recognitions, the declaration sets a path for continued cooperation and unity among ASEAN and East Asia Summit participating countries.
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