Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh has expressed his hope that
ASEAN member nations and Japan will enhance links to ensure maritime
security and comply with international law.
At the fourth deputy-ministerial level ASEAN–Japan defence
cooperation conference in Tokyo on March 13, Vinh said countries should
adopt a proper awareness of regional security, especially the
interpretation and application of the 1982 United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and standardise behaviour to international
law in an open and transparent manner to ensure maritime security and
safety as well as peace in the region.
Major
General Vu Tien Trong, Head of the Institute for Defence International
Relations, said the event focuses its discussion on the emerging risks
of maritime disputes, which require settlement via cooperation based on
international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.
Participants
at the event hailed Vietnam ’s role and contributions to regional
defence and security cooperation over the past time.
The Brunei delegation, chair of ASEAN for 2013, expressed its hope to
learn from Vietnam ’s experience in hosting ASEAN security
conferences.
At a reception for ASEAN and its
Secretariat representatives, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed
that the event will enhance capacity and practical defence links
between ASEAN and Japan in the future.
Japan
pledges to work actively and responsibly within the framework of
cooperation mechanisms like the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN
Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, Abe said.
Japan
also vowed to improve capacity, along with ASEAN member nations, to
cope with non-traditional security challenges for a region of peace and
stability.
On the sidelines of the two-day event,
held on the occasion of the 40 th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship
and cooperation, bilateral meetings between country representatives and
the fourth seminar on security issues were also organised.-VNA