Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh at the Informal Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Miniter and ForeignMinister Pham Binh Minh chaired the Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (IAMM), the21st ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), and the 26th ASEANCoordinating Council Meeting, which were held online in Hanoi on June 24.
Representatives of the countries discussed regional and international developments and ASEAN external relations. They spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts to prepare for the36th ASEAN Summit slated for June 26 in the context of COVID-19, andagreed on the working agenda proposed by the host.
They reiterated their “Cohesive andResponsive” spirit, adding that the pandemic could not undermine theirsolidarity, cooperation, activeness, and creativity.
Ministers agreed that ASEAN has become a central force incurbing the disease and maintaining socio-political stability in the region, and held that it is time for the bloc to take new stepsby strengthening prevention and control of the pandemic’s recurrence, anddeveloping recovery and post-pandemic development plans.
In this process, dialogues and cooperation are still needed,they suggested.
Participants also expressed their support for and willingnessto cooperate in implementing initiatives proposed by Vietnam such as completingthe mid-term review of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, evaluating the implementationof the ASEAN Charter, and building ASEAN's post-2025 development orientations.
Exchanging views on regional and international issues, the ministers reaffirmed ASEAN's viewpoints on the EastSea, the Rakhine State (Myanmar), and the Korean Peninsula.
Particularly, regarding the East Sea issue, ASEANcountries emphasised that peace, stability, security, safety and freedom ofnavigation and aviation in the region should be taken as the top priority, especially as the international community is struggling against COVID-19.
They underlined the importance of the practice of restraint withouttaking actions to complicate the situation, while upholding international law, especiallythe 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), fullyimplementing the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), andquickly resuming negotiations for building an effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea(COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.
Six reports from theASEAN Secretary General and community pillars submitted to the upcoming 36thASEAN Summit were adopted at the 26th ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh highly valued ASEAN’s solidarity and cooperation spirit, describing this as akey factor to ensure peace and stability in the region, and a foundation forthe bloc to overcome challenges posed by COVID-19.
For the situation in the world and the region, Minh expressed concern on the recent development in the East Sea and reiterated the consistent viewpoints of ASEAN and Vietnam inparticular.
He called on ASEAN member states to promoteresponsibility, dialogues and cooperation for peace, stability, security,safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea.
In this process, it is essential to uphold internationallaw, including the 1982 UNCLOS, exercise self-restraint, avoid militarisationand actions that complicate the situation, and fully implement the DOCand build an effective COC in line with internationallaw, including the 1982 UNCLOS, he added.
Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups 10 member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam./.
