KUALA LUMPUR: The East Asia Summit (EAS) has become increasingly relevant and vital since its inception 20 years ago, particularly amidst today’s complex crises, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He noted that global and regional dynamics have shifted, posing challenges to the strength of the summit’s member states.

"From the outbreak of conflicts and rising great power competition, to economic fragmentation, rapid technological shifts, and transnational security threats.

"These global and regional dynamics are shifting rapidly, testing the strength of our resolve and institutions, the clarity of our vision, and the resilience of our cooperation," he said in his opening remarks at the EAS on Friday (July 10) here.

Mohamad emphasised that despite adversities, it is critical for member states to sustain the purpose and objectives of the Summit in promoting principled engagements and advancing common ground on shared concerns.

As Chair, he expressed Malaysia’s appreciation to the EAS participating countries for supporting priorities on fostering diplomacy, goodwill, and respect for international law.

He added that the participating countries’ combined economy reinforces the strategic importance of the Summit as a powerful platform for cooperation and shared prosperity.

"With a combined nominal GDP of approximately USD68 trillion, the countries in this hall today account for over half of the global economy.

"This economic weight reinforces the EAS’s strategic importance, not only as a platform for dialogue, but as a powerful engine for cooperation, that broadens shared prosperity and enhances socio-economic resilience," he added.

Mohamad also stated that Asean welcomes and supports all efforts towards peace, including in Ukraine and the Middle East, based on international law, international humanitarian law, and the United Nations Charter.

"The longest conflict of modern history, rooted in the unjust and illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territory, must be brought to an end," he said.

The EAS comprises eighteen participating countries, including 10 Asean Member States and Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America.