A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM Retreat) in Myanmar on Friday.
The event, with a theme of “Moving Forward in Unity to a Peaceful and Prosperous Community”, focused on efforts to speed up ASEAN Community building and develop a regional vision beyond 2015.
The meeting also discussed measures to expand external relations and resolve issues of global and regional concern.
Regarding the building of the ASEAN Community, the meeting’s participants shared the view that 2014 is a key year that requires the strongest will to fulfill all preparations for the Community.
They also agreed to speed up cooperation program like the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC), the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI).
The meeting also reached consensus that ASEAN needs to ensure an environment of peace and security while strengthening trust building, sharing a code of conduct, and respecting regulations and agreements.
In addition, it is necessary to strengthen ASEAN’s efforts in coping with non-traditional security challenges like natural disasters, climate change, humanitarian assistance, search-and-rescue and trans-national crime combat, the ministers said.
In respect to socio-cultural issues, they agreed that more attention should be paid to emerging challenges like natural disasters, climate change, environmental pollution, improvement of people’s well-being and social welfares.
The participants also worked out a concrete plan to put the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group into operation soon.
The East Sea issue also came high on the agenda of the meeting, where the foreign ministers expressed concern over recent developments in the waters.
They reiterated the consistent implementation of the ASEAN’s Six-Point Principle on the East Sea and the significance to maintain peace, stability, security, freedom for maritime navigation and aviation.
All parties concerned should exercise restraint and settle disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), they said.
The ministers also agree to accelerate negotiations towards the early formulation of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Regarding external affairs, they called for expanding external relations and further bringing into play the ASEAN’s nucleus role in such relations.
Đăng ký: VietNam News