[Cambodia]ASEAN 2022: Cambodia's Efforts and Achievements as Chair of ASEAN
Author: Yang Kexuan, B.A. in Cambodian, School of Asian Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, 2022-11-21 13:54
On the afternoon of November 13, at the closing ceremony of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and related meetings, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen handed over the gavel of the ASEAN Chair-in-Office to President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, the Chair-in-Office of ASEAN in 2023, marking the successful completion of Cambodia's third one-year term as Chair-in-Office. The theme of this year's ASEAN Summit was "ASEAN: Addressing Challenges Together". Amidst the intertwined changes of the Myanmar issue, the Ukraine crisis and the strategic games of the major powers, Cambodia led ASEAN's efforts to achieve regional harmony, peace and prosperity, while remaining concerned about major regional and global issues. ASEAN successfully organised the ASEAN Summit and related meetings offline after two years, adopting 70 documents and declarations covering the three pillars of the ASEAN Community. This article will summarise the key efforts and outcomes of Cambodia's chairmanship of ASEAN over the past year.
I. New member and friends
Since Cambodia assumed the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN, the pace of Timor-Leste's accession has been accelerating. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has repeatedly and publicly supported Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN and urged other ASEAN member states to facilitate Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN as soon as possible. Hun Sen has said that Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN is not only of strategic importance in the context of geopolitical rivalry among the major powers, but could also fulfil the dream of the founders of ASEAN to unite all the countries of Southeast Asia. At the 40th ASEAN Summit, ASEAN accepted Timor-Leste as its 11th member in principle, granted Timor-Leste observer status and access to all ASEAN meetings, including summit plenary sessions, and will help Timor-Leste develop a "roadmap to full membership" and submit a report for adoption at the 42nd ASEAN Summit, with all ASEAN member states and partners should provide the necessary support for Timor-Leste's formal accession to ASEAN. [1] It took 11 years from the time Timor-Leste formally applied for membership to the time when ASEAN expressed its "agreement in principle" to admit Timor-Leste as a new member. In the run-up to the ASEAN Summit, Timor-Leste's President Horta paid an official visit to Cambodia from 19 to 21 October, and during his meeting with him, Hun Sen reiterated Cambodia's support for Timor-Leste to become the eleventh member of ASEAN. ASEAN's approval of Timor-Leste's membership this year is inextricably linked to Cambodia's efforts as the rotating chair of ASEAN.
In addition to admitting a new member, in 2022 ASEAN is also "making friends" with a number of countries joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). During the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates signed on to the TAC, and on 10 November, Ukraine signed on to the TAC, bringing the number of TAC members to 50. [2]
II. Focus on the Region - Active Good Offices on Myanmar
On 7 January, Hun Sen visited Myanmar, becoming the first foreign leader to visit the country since the sudden political change, with the aim of "creating a conducive environment for inclusive dialogue and political trust between the parties". Hun Sen's visit to Myanmar paved the way for the ASEAN Special Envoy for Myanmar to engage with all parties concerned. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn has made two visits to Myanmar as ASEAN Special Envoy for Myanmar in an effort to promote constructive dialogue between the parties and to provide humanitarian assistance and a new vaccine for the people of Myanmar. In contrast to Brunei, where the ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar failed to achieve a visit to Myanmar last year during its chairmanship of ASEAN, Cambodia has made a breakthrough on Myanmar during its chairmanship of ASEAN. The Burmese military is relatively sympathetic to Cambodia's approach to the Burma issue, and Cambodia's good offices efforts have been recognised by ASEAN and its dialogue partners, but the Burmese military government has made little progress in implementing the ASEAN Five Point Consensus at this time. Cambodia is well aware that the crisis in Myanmar is deeply rooted in its own complex historical and political problems," said Prak Sokhonn after his second visit to the country in July. Peace talks require time, patience and concessions from all sides, and with Cambodia taking up to 20 years to achieve a comprehensive peace, there is no shortcut or panacea to resolving the Burmese crisis." [3]
In reference to last year's ASEAN summit, the current ASEAN summit did not invite Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing to participate. At the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits, ASEAN leaders issued deliberations and decisions on the implementation of the five-point consensus on Myanmar, considering that the situation in Myanmar remains critical and fragile, with increasing violence affecting not only Myanmar but also the building of the ASEAN community, and that ASEAN is committed to assisting Myanmar in finding a peaceful solution to the current crisis, stressing that the five-point consensus remains a valid reference and that a specific timeline will be set to continue to support The ASEAN is committed to assisting Myanmar in finding a peaceful solution to the current crisis. [4] Despite the current lack of significant progress on Myanmar, Cambodia's efforts to defuse the crisis in the region during its 2022 ASEAN Presidency are evident to all.
iii. Concern for international - maintaining independence in the Russian-Urkish conflict
ASEAN has maintained its tradition of independence and autonomy in the Ukraine crisis, adhering to a balanced foreign policy of great powers and maintaining an overall neutral stance. on 26 February, the Cambodian chairmanship-in-office of ASEAN pushed the ASEAN foreign ministers to issue a joint statement within 36 hours of the Russian operation, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and advocating a peaceful solution based on the principles of international law, the UN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. [On 3 March, ASEAN foreign ministers issued a statement calling for a ceasefire in response to the situation in Ukraine, continuing to call it "armed hostilities" and urging the parties to engage in peace talks. "The statement urged the parties to engage in peaceful negotiations and avoid harming civilians. [6] On 8 April, ASEAN foreign ministers issued a statement on the killing of civilians in Ukraine, reiterating their call for an immediate ceasefire or truce and the continuation of a comprehensive political dialogue to achieve sustainable peace in Ukraine. [7]
Cambodia, as the Chair-in-Office of ASEAN, has consistently called on all parties to stop the use of force and stressed the importance of peaceful negotiations and solutions, and that war cannot be used to end wars, while also expressing its willingness to provide a platform for constructive dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.On 1 November, ASEAN Chair-in-Office and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen spoke with Ukrainian President Zelensky, hoping that all parties concerned would resolve the crisis in Ukraine through dialogue and consultation, so that During the call, Zelensky proposed to Hun Sen that a video statement be issued during the ASEAN summit. However, after discussions among ASEAN member states, ASEAN decided to reject Zelensky's application, reflecting the overall neutrality of ASEAN and its cautious approach to avoid deeper involvement in the geopolitical rivalry between major powers. The official spokesperson for this year's ASEAN summit, Kung Phoak, made the announcement, saying that as ASEAN Chair-in-Office, we would do our best for the cause of peace and that ASEAN could also play the role of mediator and contribute to peace in Ukraine if requested by the parties concerned. [8] During his meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba on 9 November, Hun Sen suggested that he consider holding talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Phnom Penh, but the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers were unable to meet, which Hun Sen regretted at a press conference on the outcomes of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and series of meetings.
The ASEAN countries have taken different positions on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Singapore condemning and announcing sanctions against Russia, Vietnam and Laos abstaining from voting on the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia on 2 March, Indonesia "condemning all wrongful acts that violate the national territory and sovereignty of other countries" and Cambodia "does not accept acts of aggression". However, after coordination and efforts, ASEAN countries as a whole have avoided taking sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and have minimised the impact of major power competition on them. In the three ASEAN foreign ministers' statements, they did not explicitly mention Russia, avoided a condemnatory tone and called on all parties to resolve the issue through peaceful negotiations.
IV. Maintaining ASEAN Centrality
In order to reduce the risk of strategic competition between China and the US, ASEAN has maintained its position of "not choosing sides" and strengthened internal solidarity. On 11 February, the Biden administration released a new version of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, stating that the US would anchor itself more firmly in the Indo-Pacific region and that it would make up for the "economic shortcomings" of the Indo-Pacific Strategy. "In May, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a U.S.-led multilateral economic cooperation mechanism, was officially launched, with seven ASEAN countries as its first members, while Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar did not join. In the face of the US's overtures, ASEAN countries are cautious and insist on putting ASEAN's centrality first. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said at the World Economic Forum in May that as the rotating chair of ASEAN, Cambodia believes that all Indo-Pacific initiatives should serve peace and development, not oppose any country, and respect ASEAN centrality, while saying that there is no need for ASEAN to support other countries' Indo-Pacific strategies, and that other countries should be allowed to support the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Vision. [9] In addition, when asked about his views on the US Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) at the 27th International Conference on "The Future of Asia", Hun Sen said that whether Cambodia was invited to join the IPEF was not an issue for Cambodia, but that Cambodia's main concern was the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), which was launched in November 2012. RCEP was launched in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in November 2012 and comes into force in 2022 when Cambodia again holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN. He admits that "the TPP died halfway because of the Trump administration's withdrawal, will the IPEF suffer the same fate as the TPP?" [10] Currently, 13 of the 15 signatory members of the RCEP have entered into force, leaving only Indonesia and the Philippines. For ASEAN, the entry into force of the RCEP has helped to enhance its influence and geopolitical and economic interests in the region, representing a major victory for ASEAN in leading regional economic cooperation and consolidating ASEAN's central position in advancing regional integration.
The ASEAN-US Special Summit held in May was an example of ASEAN's determination and diplomatic efforts to pursue the balance of power and maintain ASEAN's centrality. ASEAN took full advantage of its exposure to the global limelight in Washington to demonstrate its strategic confidence and firm stance of "not taking sides", and the joint statement and other documents of the summit reflected the compromise of the US position on issues such as Sino-US relations, Myanmar and the situation in Ukraine. From 10 to 13 November, Cambodia successfully hosted the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and related meetings, which were attended offline by a number of dignitaries from outside ASEAN, including China, the United States, Japan and South Korea. ASEAN built a platform for dialogue among countries, further promoting the formation of an open and inclusive regional cooperation structure and consolidating ASEAN's central position in the construction of the regional order. The Declaration on the 55th Anniversary of ASEAN, the ASEAN Leaders' Vision Statement on "ASEAN: Addressing Challenges Together" and the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Integrating the Four Priority Areas of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Vision into ASEAN's Priority Areas of Advancement, issued during the meeting, all emphasise the need to maintain and strengthen ASEAN's centrality in the rapidly changing regional geopolitical landscape. strengthening the centrality of ASEAN in the region. In this changing landscape, ASEAN's independence and centrality has become more pronounced, and ASEAN has been able to continue to practice the "small horse drawn big cart" model.
All in all, ASEAN has had a remarkable year, facing many issues and challenges such as post-epidemic recovery, the Myanmar issue, the Ukraine crisis and the competition between major powers, but Cambodia has successfully assumed the chairmanship of ASEAN with flexible and diversified diplomacy. In 2022, ASEAN admitted Timor-Leste as its 11th member in principle, signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia with seven countries, actively brokered the Myanmar issue, provided humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar, maintained its independence and autonomy during the Ukraine crisis and worked to maintain its centrality in the context of the intensified strategic competition dynamics among major powers. As Chair-in-Office of ASEAN, Cambodia has made important contributions to strengthening ASEAN's unity, solidarity and prosperity and promoting cooperation between ASEAN and its partners, among others.
[1] ASEAN Leaders' Statement on the Application of Timor-Leste for ASEAN Membership, November 11, 2022, https://asean.org/asean-leaders-statement-on-the-application-of-timor-leste-for-asean-membership/
freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews/265299-2022-11-10-05-53-36.html
[3] Keynote Address His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute's Special Discussion On the "Update on ASEAN's Efforts in Myanmar", ISEAS, July 21, 2022, https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Myanmar_DPM_Keynote_address_ISEAS_Updates_on_Myanmar_21_July_2022.pdf
[4] ASEAN Leaders' Review and Decision on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, November
[5] ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Statement on The Situation in Ukraine, February 26, 2022, https://asean.org/asean-foreign-ministers-statement-on-the-situation-in-ukraine/
[6] ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Statement Calling for a Ceasefire in Ukraine, March 3, 2022, https://asean.org/asean-foreign-ministers-statement-calling-for-a-ceasefire-in-ukraine/
[7] ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Statement on The Reported Killing of Civilians in Ukraine, April 8, 2022, https://asean.org/asean-foreign-ministers-statement-on-the-reported-killing-of-civilians-in-ukraine/
[8] អាស៊ានមិនអនអ្អាតឱ្យប្ររធាតអ៊ុុក្រែន ថ្លែងសុសស្ទរកថាក្ាងកិស្រប្ររជាុកកថាស៊ាសសសសសសសាាររា Countries Countries Telephone, FRESH NEWS, Indonesia Flag Home, http://www.freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews /265343-2022-11-10-12-00-24.html
Addresses, FRESH NEWS, Home Thailand ថ្ងៃទី២៤ ែឧសភា ឆ្ នា២០២២២២, http://www.freshnewsasia.com/index.php /en/localnews/243622-2022-05-24-17-17-34.html
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