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25th ASEAN Plus Three Summit

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His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, this morning attended the 25th ASEAN Plus Three Summit; 19th ASEAN-India Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN India Dialogue Relations; and 2nd ASEAN-Australia Summit, which were held at the Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel, Kingdom of Cambodia. Accompanying His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen. At the 25th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, His Majesty in his titah expresses pleasure that the ASEAN Plus Three, APT continues to be an essential platform for cooperation including in times of crisis, as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the APT mechanism.

 

In the titah, His Majesty highlights that one lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic is the society’s need for preparedness and resilience. This has led Brunei Darussalam to develop the Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on the Strategic and Holistic Initiative to Link ASEAN Responses to Emergencies and Disasters, ASEAN Shield during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2021, aimed to improve coordination of existing mechanisms in ASEAN during emergencies and disasters. One of the APT mechanisms contributing to preparedness is the APT Emergency Rice Reserve, APTERR, primarily to ensure rice availability during emergencies. In this regard, His Majesty expresses the need to ensure that this mechanism is constantly ready and able to respond swiftly to food shortfalls in the region. His Majesty also suggests for respective officials to review the preparedness of the Rice Reserve strategically and holistically. At the end of the titah, His Majesty emphasized that mental health is an issue that is often overlooked and can lead to significant productivity loss and socio-economic consequences in the future if left unaddressed. On this matter, His Majesty welcomes cooperation among the APT to increase awareness and address this critical issue. His Excellency Yoon Suk-yeol, President of the Republic of Korea as Country Coordinator for ASEAN Plus Three Dialogue Relations, in a statement expressed hope for the further strengthening of cooperation between ASEAN and the Plus Three countries in facing multiple challenges including food and energy security challenges caused by climate change.

 

The ASEAN Plus Three Summit was followed with a statement by His Excellency Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, which highlighted accomplishments of the ASEAN Plus Three in the fields of food reserve and finance towards boosting its socio-economic development, as well as the stability of international and regional industrial supply chains. Meanwhile, His Excellency Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan welcomed the steadfast progress in new areas of cooperation between ASEAN and the Plus Three countries such as digital economy and resilient agriculture, and emphasized strengthening of cooperation in four key areas, namely: maritime cooperation; connectivity; achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs and early recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Summit, Leaders encouraged for greater collaboration and integration amongst the APT to strengthen the resilience of food supply chains, promote sustainable agriculture as well as address digital gaps.

 

 

Source: Radio Television Brunei