The ASEAN Foreign Ministers reached a high consensus on the bloc’s
viewpoint on the East Sea issue at their meetings on April 10-11,
agreeing that the matter is the bloc’s mutual concern as it relates to
peace, stability and security in the entire region.
Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh has recounted the
outcomes of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat, the 9th ASEAN
Politics-Security Community Council Meeting and the ASEAN Coordinating
Council Meeting in Brunei during an interview he granted to the
press.
He said at these meetings, the FMs reiterated the bloc’s
common principles of ensuring peace, stability, maritime security and
safety, and peaceful settlement of disputes.
These also include
the respect for international law and the United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the full implementation of the Declaration
on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early
achievement of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea .
The ministers laid special emphasis on the need for the group to
continue uniting and further bringing into full play their centrality to
uphold these common principles.
According the Vinh,
the ministers all highlighted the serious respect and implementation of
commitments relating to the East Sea issue, especially the
Declaration on Six-point Principles on the East Sea , and the
ASEAN-China joint statement on the 10 th anniversary of DOC signing.
They committed to soon having the COC to ensure peace, stability and
security in the East Sea in a better and more efficient manner and
agreed to assign ASEAN senior officials to actively consult China so as
negotiations on the COC can start early.
On this
occasion, the ministers voiced their support and high evaluation of the
active role and contributions made by Brunei in its capacity as ASEAN
Chair 2013 and by Thailand as a coordinator for ASEAN-China
relations to promoting ASEAN principles and the COC.
They agreed with and supported the ASEAN Chair – Brunei – to issue a press release on the East Sea issue.
Present
at these meetings, Vietnam closely worked with Brunei , Thailand
and other ASEAN member countries to ensure the group’s common voice
heard and its leadership maintained while effectively implementing
ASEAN’s goals and principles on the East Sea .
Vietnam strongly backed the group’s Declaration on Six-point Principles
on the East Sea, as well as peace, stability, and maritime security and
safety in the East Sea, peaceful resolution of disputes without using
force, the respect for international law and the UNCLOS, the full
implementation of the DOC and the early conclusion of the COC.
The Vietnamese delegation to these events, led by Foreign Minister
Pham Binh Minh, made important contributions to ASEAN’s common
prioritised focuses, preserving and intensifying ASEAN unity and
promoting the group’s external relations.
Besides the
East Sea issue and other regional matters of mutual concern, the
ASEAN foreign ministers agreed on the bloc’s prioritised orientations
for 2013.
Accordingly, ASEAN needs to enhance solidarity and
further promote their leading role in addressing major issues regarding
peace, security, stability and development in the region.
The
group need to continue its efforts to enhance dialogues, build trust and
share code of conduct standards while deploying political and security
cooperation tools including the Treaty and Cooperation (TAC), the
Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), the DOC, the
ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus
(ADMM+).
At the same time, the bloc should uphold its
central role in the evolving regional architecture as well as within
regional cooperation frameworks such as ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the Eat Asia
Summit and the ARF.-VNA