16th East Asia Summit (EAS) 2021

16^th East Asia Summit (EAS)- Relevance for UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 2: International Relations- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

16^th East Asia Summit (EAS)- Context

• Recently, the Prime Minister of India participated in the 16th East Asia Summit via videoconference.

UN Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP 26)

16^th East Asia Summit (EAS)- Key Points

• Host Country: The 16th East Asia Summit was hosted by Brunei as EAS and ASEAN Chair.
• Participation: 16^th East Asia Summit saw the participation of leaders from ASEAN countries and other EAS Participating Countries including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the USA and India.
• India’s stand in the meeting: Indian Prime Minister
  • Reaffirmed the importance of EAS as the premier leaders-led forum in Indo-Pacific, bringing together nations to discuss important strategic issues.
  • Highlighted India’s efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic through vaccines and medical supplies.
  • Emphasized on the establishment of a better balance between economy and ecology and climate sustainable lifestyle.
  • Reaffirmed “ASEAN centrality” in the Indo-Pacific and
  • Highlighted the synergies between ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
• Other discussed issues: The 16th EAS also discussed important regional and international issues including Indo-
  • Pacifc,
  • South China Sea,
  • UNCLOS,
  • terrorism,
  • and the situation in Korean Peninsula and Myanmar.

16^th East Asia Summit (EAS)- Key Outcomes

• The EAS leaders adopted three Statements, which have been co-sponsored by India. They are-
  1. Mental Health,
  2. Economic recovery through Tourism and
  3. Sustainable Recovery, which has been co-sponsored by India

East Asia Summit (EAS)– Key Points

• About: The East Asia Summit (EAS) is the Indo-Pacific’s premier forum for strategic dialogue. It was in Kuala Lumpur on 14 December 2005.
• Members: The EAS has 18 members–
  1. Ten ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and
  2. Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
• Connection with ASEAN: ASEAN leads the forum, and the chair position rotates between the ASEAN Member States annually.
• Significance of the East Asia Summit (EAS): In 2020 EAS members represented 54% of the world’s population and accounted for 62% of global GDP worth an estimated US$52.3 trillion.
• Implementation: A dedicated EAS Unit within the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta also supports the monitoring and implementation of decisions by EAS leaders.

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