Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended overnight the 16th East Asia Summit hosted virtually by Brunei Darussalam.

The East Asia Summit is a key forum for leaders to discuss pressing issues facing the region and provides a platform to manage strategic risks through cooperation and collaboration.

“Our region continues to manage a range of geo-political challenges including COVID-19, the protection of our environment, and the health of our people,” Jacinda Ardern said.

“It was important that we raised with leaders the range of health, economic and security issues facing the Indo-Pacific region - including the ongoing management of COVID-19, the economic recovery, international rules and human rights, and climate change.

“These challenges are too big for any nation alone to solve, and it’s clear that only together can we continue to make progress where we need it most.

“The East Asia Summit provided a further opportunity to emphasise to other regional leaders that the need for taking collective action to combat these challenges is greater than ever, and that countries should resist going down a path of isolationism and nationalism.

“New Zealand continues to be a staunch supporter of the international rules-based order which has been the bedrock of our region’s prosperity and security,” Jacinda Ardern said.

At the conclusion of the meeting regional leaders adopted statements on mental health cooperation, economic growth through tourism recovery and sustainable recovery.

The full text of these agreed statements can be found here: www.asean2021.bn

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• Established in 2005, the East Asia Summit is now the premier Leader level political and security forum in the Indo-Pacific. Leaders meet annually and discuss issues and emerging challenges of most concern.
• The East Asia Summit has ten ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam); plus eight dialogue partners (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, US).

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