July 30, 2024
PHNOM PENH – Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea called on ASEAN member states to urge constructive dialogue and practical cooperation in building mutual trust to maintain peace and stability.
Chenda Sophea, also deputy prime minister, made the call at the 31st ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on July 27 in Vientiane, Laos.
Currently, the ARF comprises 27 members, including the 10 ASEAN states and the 10 ASEAN Dialogue Partners (Australia, Canada, China, the EU, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US), as well as Bangladesh, North Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.
“The deputy prime minister stressed the important role of the ARF in the context of geopolitics, economy and strategic geography, in which constructive dialogue and practical cooperation are important for building confidence and mutual trust among the ARF members in maintaining peace and stability inside and outside the region,” the ministry said in a July 27 press release.
Ek Bunly, a researcher at the Cambodian Centre for Regional Studies (CCRS), said Chenda Sophea’s call aims to encourage and remind ASEAN member countries of the importance of the bloc as a Southeast Asian institution.
He noted that in a context where rivalry among superpowers, geopolitical tensions and the rise of state protectionism are seeping into the ASEAN community, the sustainability of dialogue and the ability of current bloc members to develop a practical and feasible approach to maintaining regional order will be of strong importance in the foreseeable future.
“More frankly, with the current issue in Myanmar and rising tensions in the South China Sea, it is not in the region’s favour to afford negligence from any states in the bloc, as this will not only erode the regional institution’s relevance and effectiveness but also paint an unfavourable image of the bloc to its external dialogue partners.
“The bloc’s unity and cooperation are essential for ASEAN at this critical juncture. So far, we have to give some credit to ASEAN for its ability to push for dialogue and prevent its members, particularly in the case of Myanmar’s military junta, from total isolation from the regional institution while constantly maintaining discourse between China and the South China Sea claimant states,” Bunly told The Post on July 29.
However, he noted that ASEAN needs to do more than just facilitate dialogue to convince both its members and external partners of the institution’s relevance and effectiveness in its commitment to peaceful conflict resolution.
“At the end of the day, we have to acknowledge that it’s better to have ASEAN than to not have ASEAN at all,” he said.
During the meeting, Chenda Sophea praised the continuous efforts of Laos, the bloc’s chair this year, in promoting the implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and efforts in helping Myanmar return to normalcy. He reaffirmed his support for the work of the ASEAN chair’s special envoy on Myanmar.
He also called for the creation of a conducive environment for Myanmar’s stakeholders to engage in dialogue and negotiations for a ceasefire and a lasting peace through a political process led and owned by Myanmar.
According to an ARF press release, the meeting highlighted the important contribution of the ARF in promoting cooperation and constructive dialogue on regional political and security issues of common interest and concern.
It said that to maintain positive momentum, the forum’s ministers committed to fully and effectively implement the ARF Hanoi Plan of Action II 2020-2025 and further strengthen the its role and responsibilities, as well as its effectiveness in contributing to peace, security and stability in the region.
In addition, the ARF Declaration on Enhancing Regional Cooperation on Ferry Safety was adopted to strengthen the regulatory framework and increase public awareness through the exchange of experiences and best practices among member countries.
The release also noted the publication of the ARF Security Vision 2024, in which member countries share their views on issues related to peace and security to promote transparency and trust among members.
The ARF was established in 1994 as an important forum for security dialogue in the Indo-Pacific. It provides an opportunity for members to discuss current security issues and set out cooperation measures, as per the press release.