Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of ASEAN SOM Vietnam (Photo: VNA)The Vietnamese delegation to the event was led byMinister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, who stressed the significance oftrust building and called on sides to exercise restraint and handle disputesand differences by peaceful measures and in line with international law, theUnited Nations Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in SoutheastAsia (TAC).
Son and other delegates reiterated ASEAN'sprinciple stance on the East Sea issue, and called for building the East Seainto a sea of peace, stability and cooperation.
They called for greater efforts to seriouslyimplement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and buildan effective, efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordancewith international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Lawof the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).
The Vietnamese delegation also raised initiativesregarding the ASEAN Community building, post-2025 ASEAN developmentorientations, sustainable recovery and development, as well as response totraditional and non-traditional security challenges, according to AmbassadorHo.
He noted that this was the first in-person AMMmeeting after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, and one of the most importantactivities of ASEAN in the year with the participation of ASEAN foreign ministers andpartners in and outside the region.
It offered an opportunity for the countries toreview intra-bloc cooperation as well as collaboration between ASEAN and itspartners, and seek orientations for the future, the ambassador continued.
The delegates also exchanged views on regional and internationalissues of shared concerned, thus affirming the role and strategic values ofASEAN-led mechanisms in promoting dialogues and cooperation.
The event closed with the adoption of a joint communiquedemonstrating the solidarity, unity and responsibility of the ten-membergrouping, the ambassador said./.
VNA
