EAS officials meet in Cambodia to exchange views on regional security architecture

Officials from the East Asia Summit (EAS) countries met here Monday to exchange views on regional security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said.

The EAS countries comprise the ten-country ASEAN and its eight dialogue partners, including the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.

"This dialogue is very important to exchange views on how the EAS members can do to maintain and reinforce regional peace, security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," he said at the opening ceremony of the two-day meeting.

Hor Namhong said frank discussion would further promote cooperation and build more trust and confidence among the EAS members.

He said that over the course of two days, the officials would touch on a wide range of issues such as broad maritime cooperation, anti-terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking, which are always linked to transnational crimes.