Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has affirmed Vietnam’s close
coordination with Cambodia for the common success of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
At the ASEAN Foreign
Ministers’ Retreat in Phnom Penh on Jan. 11, the Vietnamese FM
expressed his support for the group’s topics in 2012 proposed by
Cambodia as ASEAN Chair.
He stressed the group’s prioritised
orientation on building the ASEAN Community, strengthening solidarity
and connectivity, expanding external relations and promoting ASEAN’s
proactive role, contributing to peace, cooperation and development in
the region.
ASEAN should efficiently implement the roadmap of
building the ASEAN Community and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity,
in combination with narrowing the development gap, developing the
sub-region, including the Mekong sub-region, and promoting sustainable
and equitable development in the region, Minh said.
Sharing
other countries’ assessment of recent rapid changes that have impacted
the region, FM Minh said that ASEAN needs to turn challenges into
opportunities, to beef up ASEAN cooperation in all three
political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars as well as
between ASEAN and its partners.
Besides existing cooperative
mechanisms and frameworks, ASEAN needs to be active in proposing new
initiatives and measures, as well as elevating cooperation within the
region and between ASEAN and its partners to a new height, helping
maintain and bring into full play the decisive role of the group in the
region.
Regarding the East Sea issue, Minister Minh hailed
ASEAN’s proactive role and contributions and acknowledged results
reached between ASEAN and China in adopting the document guiding the
implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East
Sea (DOC).
In recent years ASEAN has demonstrated the importance
of its role and made contributions to maintaining peace and stability
in the region, upheld the principles of settling disputes through
peaceful negotiations, respect of international law, the UN Convention
on the Law of the Sea and the DOC, and started the building of the Code
of Conduct (COC), he said.
On this basis, Minh affirmed Vietnam,
in its capacity as coordinator in ASEAN-China dialogue relations, will
work closely with ASEAN to accelerate dialogue, building mutual trust
and understanding with China, including efforts towards building and
completing the COC.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat wrapped up within the day./.
