Jakarta (VNA)🌜 - The member states of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the US adopted a jointstatement on the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), at the11th ASEAN- US Summit in Jakarta on September 7.

Regarding maritime cooperation, the twosides  committed to expand cooperationon sustainable management of marine resources; strengthen capacity to combatillegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; protect the livelihood ofcoastal communities; support small-scale fishing communities; promote maritimecommerce; expand efforts to protect and conserve marine environments; and improvemaritime domain awareness. Both sides agreed to enhance maritime cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms by upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, reaffirming the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and promoting cooperation and coordination among relevant agencies in order to improve maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, protection, restoration and sustainable management of the marine environment, as well as maritime safety, security and education.

Referring to connectivity, the two sides entrusted to promote cooperation and partnerships thatsupport digital innovation, seamless logistics, regulatory excellence, andsustainable infrastructure; enhance humancapital development; build people-to-people connectivity through ASEAN-ledmechanisms; and support ASEAN’s infrastructure and connectivity in line withthe Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025.

𒁃 They also agreed to further promote stability, peace, prosperity, andsustainable development of the Mekong subregion through shared initiativesunder the Mekong-US Partnership (MUSP); support narrowing thedevelopment gap in ASEAN in order to realise a collaborative ASEAN Community;advance efforts to accelerateprogress and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 throughcooperation in food security, health security and the building of resilienthealth systems, gender equality, human rights, clean energy and climate action,smart and sustainable cities, environmental conservation, transparency; and accelerateclean and just energy transition and the fight against climate change.

In economic and other possible areas of cooperation,ASEAN and the US consented to deepen economic cooperation, promoting financial stability, resilience, andanti-corruption; facilitate trade and investment; enhance cooperation on tradefacilitation, logistics infrastructure, and on services; and enhance engagement tocontribute to sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic growth. The two sides also supported cooperation on digital economy,cybersecurity, and cooperation that builds an open, safe, secure, stable,accessible, interoperable, peaceful and resilient cyberspace; and sought toengage collaboration among other countries, regional and sub-regionalmechanisms in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions to work withASEAN on specific areas of common interests to complement the relevantinitiatives through innovative./.