The 19th East Asia Summit was held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Friday, with focus on strengthening cooperation under the EAS framework to foster mutual understanding and mutual trust.

Addressing the summit, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said the EAS is inseparable from the ASEAN-centered regional architecture.

He said that the EAS cooperation has made considerable progress and broadened significantly over the past 19 years.

He stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation under the EAS framework to foster mutual understanding, mutual trust and mutual confidence.

Mr Siphandone added that those are the key elements to the shared objectives of peace, stability and sustainable development.

He said the meeting presented a valuable opportunity to discuss ways to further enhance cooperation under the EAS framework with the aim of enhancing its relevance and effectiveness.

The 19th EAS was attended by leaders and representatives from ASEAN countries, and China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

Since its inception in 2005, the EAS has served as a platform for dialogue on broad strategic issues of relevance to East Asia as well as other regional and global issues, with the goal of promoting peace.

Established in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summit and related summits, including the EAS, were being held under the theme ‘ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience’.

(Xinhua/NAN)