At the 20th East Asia Summit (EAS), held in Kuala Lumpur, the participating countries adopted the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, reaffirming the EAS’s role as a leaders-level forum for strategic political, security, and economic cooperation. The declaration re-emphasises regional stability, ASEAN centrality, multilateralism, and the rules-based order.
About the East Asia Summit (EAS)
What is EAS?
The EAS is a high-level forum comprising 18 countries (including the 10 ASEAN member states plus partners such as China, India, Japan, The Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the United States).
Members: ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, The Republic of Korea, United States and Russia.
It meets annually after the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting and focuses on political-security, economic and other regional issues of common concern.
Purpose & Scope
The EAS has defined 16 streams of cooperation, including peace & security, sustainable development, climate/environment/energy, trade, connectivity, education, health and disaster management.
Over the years, it has evolved from a dialogue forum to a building block of the ASEAN-centred regional architecture.
Key Highlights of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration
Reaffirmation of Founding Documents
The declaration recalls earlier key instruments like the 2005 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the EAS, the 2010 Hanoi Declaration and the 2015 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the 10th anniversary.
It underscores the continuity of the EAS process and its evolving relevance in a changing geopolitical landscape.
Commitment to ASEAN Centrality & Rules-Based Order
The Declaration underlines that ASEAN remains the driving force within the EAS framework and commits to transparent, predictable, and responsible behaviour in regional affairs.
This reinforces the concept of ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific regional architecture.
Responding to Emerging Challenges
The document highlights the twin challenges of geopolitical uncertainties and technological‐driven transitions. It calls for collective action in areas such as cyber, space, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and climate risk mitigation.
It reflects a shift in regional strategy from just cooperation to strategic readiness.
Institutional Strengthening and Partnership
The declaration pledges to further strengthen the institutional mechanisms of the EAS—including senior officials’ meetings, ambassadors’ group and coordination processes—to ensure follow-up and implementation of initiatives.
It also stresses deeper engagement between EAS partners in economic, connectivity and maritime domains.
Significance of East Asia Summit for India
Strategic & Security Implications
For India, participation in the EAS and the adoption of the KualaLumpur Declaration reaffirm its role in the Indo‐Pacific. It aligns with India’s Act East and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) strategy, offering a framework for maritime security, connectivity and multilateralism.
Economic and Connectivity Opportunities
The renewed focus on supply chain resilience, trade facilitation, digital economy and infrastructure opens new avenues for India to expand its economic engagement with the East Asian region under the EAS framework.
Reinforcing Multilateral Norms
The declaration’s emphasis on rules, transparency and cooperative security supports India’s diplomacy in areas like maritime security, maritime domain awareness (MDA), and regional balancing among major powers.
Exam-Oriented Facts
- The EAS comprises 18 participating countries including the 10 ASEAN members plus India, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, The Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
- The Kuala Lumpur Declaration reaffirms the EAS as a leaders-led forum for strategic dialogue, reaffirming earlier declarations from 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020.
- The EAS has 16 streams of cooperation, including peace & security, connectivity, trade, energy, climate & environment.
- The declaration emphasises ASEAN centrality, the rules-based order, and deeper institutional strengthening.
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