ASEAN Plus Three leaders to meet on APT’s 20th anniversary

November 13, 2017

Leaders of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states and the Plus Three Countries (China, Japan and South Korea) will meet for the 20th ASEAN Plus Three Commemorative Summit on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

The meeting will review the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) cooperation and discuss its future direction in light of the recently adopted APT Work Plan 2018-2022.

The leaders will also exchange views on several regional and international issues relating to trade and investment relations, environment and sustainable development, and people concerns.

The APT leaders are set to issue two important documents:  the Manila Declaration on the 20th Anniversary of ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation; and the ASEAN Plus Three Leaders’ Statement on Food Security Cooperation.

These two documents represent the vision and priorities of APT cooperation and the collective will of APT countries to work for the benefit of their people. The APT envisions to build a larger community, the East Asia Economic Community, by strengthening the foundation of regional cooperation. DMS