Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on July 2 attended the 20 th
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF–20) and the third East Asia Summit Foreign
Ministers’ Meeting (EAS–3) in Brunei’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan .

Addressing the ARF-20, Minister Minh said ARF
should continue promoting its role as a regional leading political and
security forum to make greater contributions to peace, stability,
security and development in the region.

In the
context of changes in security in the region and the world, ARF should
continue building trust, while enhancing preventive diplomacy and
increasing links between the forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’
Meeting Plus (ADMM+) mechanism, he said.

During the
ARF-20, the ministers highlighted the significance of peace, security,
stability, cooperation and development in the region.

They highly valued the role and contributions of ARF, an important
dialogue for political-security cooperation in Asia-Pacific, in reaching
these goals.

The ministers also tabled regional and
international issues of mutual concern, including the Korean peninsula,
the Middle East and the East Sea situation.

They gave much time to discussing recent developments in the East Sea, underscoring the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security
and maritime safety in the East Sea .

They
emphasised that all parties should peacefully settle all differences in
the East Sea without using force, in line with international law and the
1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

Welcoming the ASEAN Six-Point Principles on the East Sea, the
ministers encouraged all sides to strengthen exchanges of opinions and
approaches to the issues to increase trust and cooperation in handling
risks in the sea.

They applauded the efforts of
ASEAN and China in fully and effectively implementing the
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), heading to
the building of a Code of Conduct (COC). They also lauded that ASE AN
and China will conduct official political consultations to reach a
COC at an early date.

During the EAS-3, the
ministers focused on reviewing their cooperation over the past years,
proposing directions and measures to further strengthen cooperation in
the future, while discussing strategic issues in the region.

They agreed on the importance of the EAS as a forum for leaders of
regional countries, in which ASEAN plays a key role, to dialogue on
strategic issues in all fields, including politics, security, economics,
development cooperation and ways to cope with challenges facing the
region and the whole world for peace, stability, security and prosperity
in the region.

Countries in the region should enhance cooperation to deal with food security and prevent pandemic, they said.

They welcomed China’s initiative on developing East Asia as well as
Brunei ’s proposals on ensuring food security, sustainable fishing
management and environmental protection.

The
ministers also saluted the first conference of the dengue fighting
alliance, which will be held on the occasion of the 8 th East Asia
Summit in Brunei this October under the co-chair of the Australian
and Vietnamese Prime Ministers.

They stressed the
importance of ensuring peace, stability and maritime security in the
region, especially in the East Sea , as well as the peaceful
settlement of disputes and strict compliance with international law and
the 1982 UNCLOS.

The foreign ministers hailed
regional efforts to promote maritime cooperation in preventing piracy,
search and rescue at sea, maritime security and environmental
protection, as well as connectivity at sea.

Speaking
at the event, FM Minh affirmed that it is necessary to ensure the EAS
continues to be a forum for leaders to talk and design directions for
cooperation in issues of strategic importance, on the basis of EAS goals
and principles, which were defined in basic documents, including the
Hanoi Statement in 2010.

He also shared his view on
the need to boost the EAS’s role in building regional regulations and
frameworks for the promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in East
Asia .

At the same time, it is necessary to
enhance economic and trade connectivity in East Asia to establish a
free trade area and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP), he said.

It is important to boost
cooperation in solving common challenges such as natural disaster
management, maritime security and safety, anti-terrorism as well as
other non-traditional security challenges, he added.

During the meetings, referring to the East Sea issue, FM Minh
reaffirmed that peace, stability, maritime security and safety are the
common interest and benefit of the region and all countries.

ASEAN members and other countries should exert more efforts to
contribute to these shared goals, especially in the context of recent
complicated changes in the region, he said.

He
highlighted the Six-Point Principles of ASEAN on the East Sea,
while underscoring the importance of principles on building trust,
settling disputes peacefully without using force, respecting
international law and the 1982 UNCLOS which includes principles on
respecting the exclusive economic zones of coastal nations, the full
implementation of the DOC and the prompt building of a COC.

He applauded ASEAN and China’s agreement to organise official
consultations on a COC at a senior official level in September this
year, expressing hope that the event will pave the way for both sides to
step up negotiations for the early building of a COC.

The minister also suggested that all regional countries discuss and
establish regional cooperation mechanisms on preventing accidents at
sea, and sea search and rescue.

Later the same day,
on the sidelines of the events, Minister Minh met US State Secretary
John Kerry to discuss bilateral issues, as well as regional and
international matters of mutual concern.

Both sides
said they are pleased to see positive developments in Vietnam-US ties
during the past years. They shared their opinions on specific measures
to further bilateral ties in the time to come.

Minister Minh voiced his hope that Kerry will make more contributions to
the development of Vietnam-US relations for the sake of both peoples
and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.-VNA