This afternoon, six more countries signed the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).
The six nations are the Kingdom of Denmark, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said as an open platform for constructive dialogue and consultation, ASEAN has become a vibrant, dynamic, and outward-looking regional institution, thriving on the key principles of peaceful co-existence, friendly cooperation, non-interference, mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
TAC was established in 1976 and embodies universal principles of peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation among States in Southeast Asia.
It is a legally-binding code for inter-state relations in the region and beyond. The Treaty has been amended three times, in 1987, 1998, and 2020, respectively, to allow for accession by states outside Southeast Asia as well as for regional organisations whose members are sovereign states, among others.
As of January 2021, there are 43 high contracting parties to the TAC.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press