Japan-ASEAN Summit 2020: Suga confirms cooperation on 'free and open' Indo-Pacific region

Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga attended the Japan-ASEAN summit on November 12 and disseminated the position of the nation on the East and South China Seas as well as North Korea including the issue of abduction. Apart from that, Suga’s office said that he confirmed Japan’s cooperation with the leaders of all nations over free and open Indo-Pacific region. The ASEAN or Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional group of ten members including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Japan PM said, “I attended the Japan-ASEAN Summit. We confirmed cooperation with the leaders of each country toward the realization of a "free and open Indo-Pacific," and disseminated Japan's position on the East and South China Seas and North Korea, including the abduction issue.”

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Established ASEAN Infectious Disease Control Center

Japan PM said that in addition to other issues, the establishment of the ASEAN  Infectious Disease Control Center was also announced on November 12 and pledged that the country will continue to extend support to local infectious disease countermeasures. This comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic when most nations across the globe are gripped with the surge in infections along with its impact of other industries and crippling the economy. At the virtual Japan-ASEAN Summit, the pandemic and Indo-pacific region were two main topics of discussion. 

Suga said, “In addition, the establishment of the ASEAN Infectious Disease Control Center was announced. We will continue to firmly support local infectious disease countermeasures.”

PM Modi to co-chair ASEAN-India summit

Apart from Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Vietnamese counterpart HE Nguyen Xuan Phuc will also be co-chairing the 17th ASEAN-Indian Summit on November 12, the Ministry of External Affairs informed on Monday. In a statement, the MEA said that leaders of all ten ASEAN member states will participate in the virtual summit. The member states meeting will review the status of ASEAN-Indian Strategic Partnership and take stock of progress made in key areas, including connectivity, maritime cooperation, trade and commerce, education, capacity building and etc. 

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