Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn. (Photo: cambodiadaily.com)PhnomPenh (VNA) - Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and InternationalCooperation Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia welcomes the resumption of negotiationson a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea (called the East Sea inVietnam) as it reflects the commitment of ASEAN and China to maintain regionalstability by managing differences as per international law.
Sokhonnmade the remarks during the 28th ASEAN Regional Forum (AFR) on August 6, the PhnomPenh Post cited the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’spress release on August 7.
The ministerhighlighted the ARF’s contributions to promoting peace, security and stability inthe Asia-Pacific region.
Sokhonnalso emphasised the importance of enhancing regional and international solidarityand cooperation towards a collective and effective response to and recoveryfrom the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ARFcan also assist in the resumption of inter-Korean communication by rekindlingtrust and confidence between the two nations, he said.
Earlier, the 28th ARF issuedthe Chairman’s Statement, calling for the maintenance of security and freedom of navigation in the East Sea, andacceleration of talks for the prompt signing of the COC.
The statement noted that the 28th ARF reaffirmedthe importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability,prosperity, safety, and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the EastSea, and pursue peaceful resolution of disputes, without coercion, in accordancewith universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The meeting underscored the importance of the fulland effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Partiesin the East Sea (DOC) in its entirety.
The forum also noted the positive progress inthe ongoing negotiations on the COC despite the challenging COVID-19 situation,including the recent resumption of the textual negotiations of the Single DraftCOC Negotiating Text (SDNT), which has resulted in provisional agreement on thePreamble section, and looked forward to the early conclusion of an effectiveand substantive COC that is consistent with international law, including the1982 UNCLOS./.
