According to the Statement, ASEAN and the US reaffirm their commitment to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic; strengthening economic ties and connectivity; promoting maritime cooperation; enhancing people-to-people connectivity; supporting sub-regional development; leveraging technologies and promoting innovation; addressing climate change; and preserving peace and building trust.

The Statement also affirms that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sets out the legal framework FINAL 4 within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out and is of strategic importance as the basis for national, regional and global action and cooperation in the marine sector, and that its integrity needs to be maintained.

The US supports ASEAN’s efforts to preserve the Southeast Asian region as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and free of all other weapons of mass destruction. The US also looks forward to reaching a new level of cooperation and partnership and task Ministers to coordinate the implementation of this Joint Vision Statement.