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East Asia Summit (EAS) – Origin, Members & Objectives

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East Asia Summit (EAS)

  • The East Asia Summit (EAS) is the Indo-Pacific’s premier forum for strategic dialogue. 
  • It is the only leader-led forum at which all key Indo-Pacific partners meet to discuss political, security and economic challenges facing the region, and has an important role to play in advancing closer regional cooperation.
  • It aims of promoting peace, stability, and economic prosperity in East Asia
  • The Kuala Lumpur Declaration defines the EAS as an “open forum” for dialogue on strategic, political, and economic issues in order to promote peace, economic prosperity, and regional integration in East Asia.

Origin

  • Established: 2005, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Initiated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 
  • First summit attended by leaders of ASEAN + 6 countries (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea).
  • Later expanded to include the USA and Russia (2011).

Membership

  • The East Asia Summit comprises nineteen participating countries, including eleven ASEAN Member States, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam, and Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America.
  • India is a founding member of the East Asia Summit.

Chair

  • ASEAN leads the forum, and the chair position rotates between ASEAN Member States annually.
  • The Chair of ASEAN is the Chair of the EAS

EAS Meetings and Processes

  • Annual Leaders’ Summit
    • Annual Leaders’ Summit is usually held alongside ASEAN Leaders’ meetings
    • Main decision-making platform.
  • In addition to the Leaders’ Summit, meetings of EAS Foreign Ministers and Economic Ministers are held annually. 
    • These also serve as platforms for frank discussion of political, regional security, and economic issues and prepare for the Leaders’ Summit, including by developing statements on areas of cooperation and mutual understanding. 
  • Meetings of the EAS Environment, Energy, and Education Ministers are also held regularly.

FAQs 

Q1. What is the East Asia Summit (EAS)?

The East Asia Summit is a leaders-led strategic forum in the Indo-Pacific where 18 countries discuss political, security, and economic issues.

Q2. When and where was the EAS established?

EAS was established in 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Q3. Who are the members of the East Asia Summit?

The EAS has 18 members: 10 ASEAN nations + 8 dialogue partners – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United States, and Russia.

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