"The World and Japan" Database (Project Leader: TANAKA Akihiko)
Database of Japanese Politics and International Relations
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (IASA), The University of Tokyo

[Title] Declaration of the 6th East Asia Summit on ASEAN Connectivity

[Place] Bali, Indonesia
[Date] 19 November 2011
[Source] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
[Notes]
[Full text]

WE, the Heads of State/Government of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia, People's Republic of China, Republic of India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russian Federation and the United States of America on the occasion of the 6th East Asia Summit (EAS);

WELCOMING the 2010 Ha Noi Declaration on the Adoption of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and the 2009 ASEAN Leaders' Statement on ASEAN Connectivity that articulated the vision to enhance intra-regional connectivity within ASEAN which will complement and support integration within ASEAN as well as within the broader regional framework in East Asia;

RECALLING the 2010 Ha Noi Declaration on the Commemoration of the 5th Anniversary of the East Asia Summit and its support for the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and its readiness to partner ASEAN in its implementation;

RECOGNISING that enhancing intra-regional Connectivity would benefit all EAS participating countries through enhanced trade, investment, infrastructure, tourism, people-to-people linkages and cultural exchanges, and development, which would complement and contribute to the ongoing community building efforts in the East Asian region as well as narrow development gaps and deepen cross cultural understanding;

REAFFIRMING our support for the effective and timely implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity in all three pillars, namely, physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity, and with equal emphasis on connectivity between mainland and archipelagic Southeast Asia and the development of sub-regional interconnectivity among ASEAN Member States;

ACKNOWLEDGING that ASEAN Connectivity is the first step in the development of enhanced connectivity within East Asia.

DO HEREBY DECLARE TO:

1. Include ASEAN Connectivity as a key priority area of cooperation in the EAS, together with the other agreed priority areas of cooperation;

2. Support and facilitate further relevant cooperation between ASEAN and its EAS Partners in the Connectivity initiative, particularly in mobilizing resources and expertise, information sharing, and identifying specific cooperation projects where the EAS Partners could participate in the three dimensions of physical, institutional, and people-to-people connectivity;

3. Support the development of a regional public-private partnership (PPP) development agenda and leverage on and work through bilateral arrangements, as well as regional and international financial institutions to mobilize resources in support of the implementation of projects under the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity;

4. Promote greater awareness within the public and private sectors on the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, including its potential benefits and economic opportunities, through the conduct of outreach and advocacy activities such as symposiums, workshops, seminars, business missions, and courses;

5. Encourage the involvement of the public and private sectors in key priority projects under the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, including financing of tangible and bankable PPP projects through new and innovative financing sources;

6. Promote greater engagement and cooperation in people-to-people connectivity initiatives, including those relating to education and life-long learning, human resource development, innovation and entrepreneurship, cultural exchanges, and tourism.

7. Consider the possibility of having a "Connectivity Master Plan Plus" in the future which would expand Connectivity beyond ASEAN and develop further linkages between ASEAN and its EAS Partners, with appropriate reference to the initiatives including but not limited to "Comprehensive Asia Development Plan" while maintaining ASEAN Connectivity as a priority by effectively implementing the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

ADOPTED by the Heads of State/Government of the participating countries of the 6th East Asia Summit on 19 November 2011 in Bali, Indonesia.