(VOV) – Vietnamese Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh has called for stronger cooperation within the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+), with ASEAN playing the central role, in order to build up trust.
Addressing the second meeting of ADMM+ in Brunei on August 29, Thanh noted that there remain challenges in the Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian regions, including land and marine disputes, terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, piracy, trans-national drug smuggling, internet security and other non-traditional security issues.
He called on the Defence Ministers and military commanders of all countries in Asia and the Pacific, including those from the US and China, to build strategic trust and boost cooperation in order to maintain regional peace, stability, cooperation and shared development, in the common interests of all nations in the region.
Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh addressed the second meeting of the ADMM+ in Brunei (Photo: Defence Ministry)
He also urged the concerned countries to settle all marine disputes, including those in the East Sea, through peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC), while preparing for negotiations of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), to ensure marine safety and security.
Minister Thanh proposed that regional countries increase naval cooperation, including joint patrols, experience sharing, coast protection, as well as establishing hotlines between their Defence Ministers and military leaders to avoid misunderstanding and promptly deal with unexpected situations.
To strengthen confidence building measures, Vietnam is ready to sign an agreement opposing the use or the threat of use of force, to realise high-level ASEAN agreements and fully implement the DOC, he said.
He also proposed the countries enhance the search and rescue work and the fight against piracy in the East Sea. He said Vietnam recently arrested 11 pirates and rescued 9 Malaysian citizens aboard a ship travelling from the Strait of Malacca towards Vietnam.
“We welcome any ships of ADMM+ countries to visit Vietnamese ports,” said Thanh.
He thanked China, Japan and India for supporting Vietnam’s initiative on establishing an ADMM+ expert working group on humanitarian mine action, citing the fact that there are exploded bombs and mines left over from the past wars in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
He expressed his hope that countries, including the US, will take an active part in overcoming the consequences of unexploded bombs and mines in the three former Indochinese countries.
He announced Vietnam’s plan to join UN peacekeeping operations as of 2014 and said Vietnam wants to learn from other countries’ experience and receive support for this activity.
The Defence Minister voiced Vietnam’s support for the denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula through the six-party negotiations to maintain peace and stability in the region.
Đăng ký: VietNam News