MANILA, Philippines — The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday concluded their summit in Singapore by releasing a communiqué that expresses support for exercise of self-restraint in the disputed South China Sea and “irreversible” denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Read the full chairman’s statement of the 32nd ASEAN Summit below: ********** 28 APRIL 2018 1. We, the Heads of State/Government of ASEAN Member States, gathered in Singapore for the 32nd ASEAN Summit on 28 April 2018. Our discussions emphasised building a resilient and innovative ASEAN, amidst rapid changes in Southeast Asia and beyond. 2. We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining ASEAN Centrality and unity in our Community-building efforts and engagement of external partners. We welcomed initiatives that reinforce an ASEAN-centric regional architecture that is open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based. These initiatives will build upon ASEAN-led mechanisms including the ASEAN Plus One, ASEAN Plus Three (APT), East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus). We looked forward to further discussion on recent initiatives, including the Indo-Pacific concept. 3. We reaffirmed our shared commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the region, as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). KEY DELIVERABLES 4. We adopted the ASEAN Leaders’ Vision for a… [Read full story]
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