The Vietnamese delegation, led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, made
positive contributions to the 22nd ASEAN Summit that took place in
Bandar Seri Begawan from April 24-25, said Foreign Minister Pham Binh
Minh.
Briefing the press on Vietnam’s
participation in the summit, the minister said Vietnam actively
contributed to key topics and helped strengthen ASEAN solidarity.
During the event, Vietnam affirmed that ASEAN needs to maintain its
common voice and central role to uphold peace, stability, maritime
security and safety in the East Sea, Minh said.
Vietnam also emphasised the effective implementation of the
association’s common goals and principles in the East Sea, especially
the strong support to the Declaration on Six-point Principles on the
East Sea, the settlement of disputes by peaceful means without the use
of force, observation of international law and the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the early conclusion of
the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), he said.
Regarding the focus and outcomes of the summit, Minh said leaders of the
association’s member countries reached high consensus on ASEAN’s
prioritised directions and gave opinions on issues of strategic
importance in the region.
They affirmed that ASEAN
needs to continue promoting its role and common voice on important
issues relating to peace, security and development in the region, he
said.
The leaders agreed to speed up the progress of
building the ASEAN Community in all three key pillars –
politics-security, economics and culture-society – while effectively
implementing cooperation programmes at both national and regional
levels, said Minh.
The leaders said that ASEAN needs to
continue fostering solidarity and further promote its central role in
order to ensure a region of peace, security, stability and development,
the diplomat said.
Accordingly, they said ASEAN
should strengthen dialogues and build trust, while sharing conduct
standards and promoting the efficiency of cooperation tools and
mechanisms in politics-security in the region, added Minh.
Minh said leaders of ASEAN member states gave much thought to the
East Sea issues, which are of common concern and relate to regional
peace and security.
They emphasised the
association’s common views and principles, including the guarantee of
peace, stability, security and safety in the East Sea, restraining and
not complicating the situation and settling disputes peacefully in
accordance with international law and the UNCLOS, the full and
effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
the East Sea (DOC), as well as the building of the COC, said the
minister.
Minh said participants at the summit also
agreed on the expansion and further enhancement of ASEAN’s relations
with partners, to make full use of their support and help the
association build the ASEAN Community.
They
agreed that ASEAN should continue boosting its relations with partners
including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, the US, Russia and
Australia, he said.-VNA