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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan agreed on Sunday to uphold international law, including the UN Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to increase maritime cooperation to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the Implementation Plan of the Joint Vision Statement, which the ASEAN and Japan leaders approve during the 50th commemorative summit on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in Tokyo, the leaders agreed to further strengthen cooperation on security, maritime cooperation and connectivity based on the rule of law, international law and the UNCLOS.

To realize their partnership for peace and stability, ASEAN and Japan agreed to support ASEAN Political and Security Community towards the realization of ASEAN Community Vision 2025 as well as ASEAN’s aspirations for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045; uphold international law, including the UN Charter and UNCLOS), as well as continue to strengthen cooperation in the field of law and justice.

Included in the implementation plan is strengthening dialogue and cooperation for the maintenance of maritime security and safety, maritime order based on the rule of law, including freedom and safety of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce, enhance maritime domain awareness, as well as cooperation among coastguards and relevant law enforcement agencies.

There will be strengthened cooperation on maritime capacity building, and ensure the resolution of disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to threat or use of force, in accordance with international law,including the 1982 UNCLOS.

Part of the plan include enhancing defense cooperation and exchanges through the ADMM-Plus, other ASEAN-led frameworks, and ASEAN-Japan initiatives, as well as explore further ASEAN-wide cooperation, such as capacity building cooperation, defense equipment and technology cooperation, joint training and exercises, and human resource development and academic exchanges.

Implementing relevant measures to facilitate nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as the safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy in accordance with regional and international instruments was also part of the plan.

The parties will also further strengthen cooperation on combatting terrorism and transnational crimes such as terrorism financing, cybercrime, money laundering, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, piracy and armed robbery against ships, trafficking in persons and online and phone scams, in accordance with the ASEAN-Japan Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat Terrorism and Transnational Crime and the SOMTC-Japan Work Plan on Cooperation to Combat Transnational Crime (2023-2027).

They also agreed to explore ways to enhance cooperation in cybersecurity to advance cyber readiness, strengthen regional cyber policy coordination, enhance trust in cyberspace and regional capacity building, through the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity mechanism and other measures.

The Implementation Plan is aimed at further strengthening cooperation in the four priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) such as maritime cooperation, connectivity, the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and economic and other possible areas of cooperation. Presidential News Desk