President Tran Dai Quang said the Asia-Pacific Region, including Southeast Asia, continues to be a dynamic development hub of growing geo-strategic, economic and political importance in today's world. The East Sea, located at the heart of Southeast Asia, not only brings about many important benefits to nations in the region but is also a vital route for the world’s maritime and air transport. The entire region is exerting its best efforts to develop, through the promotion of initiatives on connectivity and cooperation on politics, economics, culture and education, among other areas. The recent worrying developments in the region and the East Sea have had a negative impact on the security environment of the region, especially maritime security and safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight, threatening to erode trust and affecting regional cooperation.

Unity, joint actions to realize aspirations

President Quang quoted the late Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kwan Yew, as saying: “You are not just making promises or pleasantries, you mean what you say”.  

President Quang said the only path to transform desires into reality was for all nations to stand united, to act together, and to promote cooperation on the basis of international law, equality and the mutual interest. “This is the goal of ASEAN. Over the past years, with a vision beyond its own interests, ASEAN has been expressing its voice, ever stronger and more responsible, over the common concerns of the international and regional communities, especially in such areas of cooperation as sustainable development, the response to climate change and natural disasters, and epidemic relief, among others. ASEAN has succeeded in drawing the strategic engagement of major powers for the common interest of peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and the world over. A multipolar, multi-layered regional architecture in which ASEAN plays a central role is conducive to and can satisfy the interests of all parties.”

In order to make better use of its role in maintaining peace and stability, promoting cooperation and fortifying itself in the face of hardship and challenges, ASEAN should strengthen political coherence, focus on the promotion of dialogue and the building of confidence and a common code of conduct, and promote economic and socio-cultural integration, making use of economic advantages to build the combined strength of the community.

President Quang said: “In foreign relations, Vietnam pursues a consistent policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, and development; multilateralization and diversification of external relations, and proactive international integration, and is ready to be a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community. Vietnam pays close attention to the development of traditional friendly relations with neighboring countries, the promotion of cooperative relations with major and important partners, the advancement of integration, and the fulfillment of all its international commitments.”

Regarding the East Sea issue, he reiterated Vietnam’s consistent position to remain resolute and persistent in the defense of national independence, sovereignty, and territorial unity, and integrity. Vietnam seeks to settle disputes by peaceful means through political, diplomatic and legal processes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Vietnam requests that relevant parties abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and practically negotiate the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC).

Deepening Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Partnership

While talking about Vietnam-Singapore relations, President Quang expressed his deep impression of Singapore’s socio-economic development, which, he said, is a valuable lesson for Vietnam in its national construction and defense. In regional and international issues, Vietnam and Singapore share fundamental interests in the building of a strong ASEAN and a reliable system of partnership, as well as in the maintenance of a peaceful and stable international order that respects and adheres to international law.

Mr. Quang said: “Vietnam wishes to work with Singapore to promote and further deepen the Strategic Partnership between our two countries in all areas of economics, trade, investment, defense, security, and maritime cooperation, and cooperation at regional and international forums. The goal of our strategic partnership is nothing but a prosperous Singapore and a sustainably developing Viet Nam, contributing to the building of a prosperous ASEAN Community and an Asia-Pacific Region enjoying peace, security and development.”

Finally, President Quang hoped that the discussion would give the participants deeper insights on regional and international issues relating to Vietnam's foreign policy as well as Vietnam-Singapore relations so that more concrete cooperation activities will be worked out for our common interests.