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기사입력 : 2023.08.22 11:24
[Leaders Times] The East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials’ Meeting (APT SOM) were convened on August 3, 2023, in Bali, Indonesia, the chairing country for 2023. Delegates from all ASEAN Member States, including the Plus Three Countries, and Timor-Leste as an observer, along with the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN responsible for the ASEAN Political-Security Community, attended these crucial meetings.
The ASEAN-related Senior Official's Meetings are typically held twice a year. Following the session in March this year, participants in this meeting discussed matters related to the follow-up actions to the July ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meeting and preparations for the upcoming Summit scheduled for September.
During the morning session of the Senior Official's Meeting of the East Asia Summit (EAS), participants exchanged views on preparations for the EAS Summit and discussed measures to enhance its effectiveness. Additionally, a briefing was provided on the preparatory status of the ASEAN-India-Pacific Forum (AIPF), which is scheduled to coincide with the Summit, and there was a commitment to collaborate to ensure its success.
Lee Jang-Keun, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN, reaffirmed South Korea’s support for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). He also outlined efforts to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN in line with South Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy and the Korea-ASEAN Initiative (KASI). Ambassador Lee emphasized South Korea's commitment to implementing the EAS Action Plan (2024-2028), as adopted during the July EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and supported the bolstering of the chairing country's role in the EAS.
Ambassador Lee pointed out that despite international concerns and warnings, North Korea had indicated its intent to continue nuclear and missile development through ballistic missile launches and last week's so-called ‘Victory Day’ military parade. To deter these actions, he underscored the importance of a resolute and unified international response, including measures to block funding sources for nuclear and missile development. Furthermore, concerns regarding dire human rights and humanitarian conditions in North Korea were expressed, highlighting the significance of international cooperation in addressing these issues.
Ambassador Lee also articulated South Korea's principled stance concerning the Ukraine conflict, Myanmar’s post-Coup crisis, and the territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
In the afternoon's ASEAN+3 Senior Official's Meeting, participants reviewed the state of ASEAN+3 cooperation, focusing on the theme of this year's chairing country, and discussed avenues for enhancing collaboration. Ambassador Lee elaborated on South Korea's contributions and initiatives for reinforced collaboration, particularly in substantive areas of inter-member cooperation such as finance and food security, as well as in areas of high ASEAN demand such as digital transformation and climate change adaptation.
Furthermore, Ambassador Lee conveyed South Korea's dedication to revitalizing trilateral cooperation among Korea, Japan, and China as chairing countries of the Korea-Japan-China Summits and as representative coordinators for ASEAN+3. He stressed the significance of maintaining open lines of communication and fostering strong cooperation with the governments of these two nations.
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