(VOVworld)-Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh makes speech at the 12th Asia Security Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue) in Singapore. We now bring you the gist of this speech:

Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant-General Nguyen Chi Vinh made the remark in his speech delivered at Sunday plenary session of the 12th Asia Security Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue) in Singapore. Vinh emphasized the importance of defense cooperation to create combined strength in tackling common challenges for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region. He said that Vietnam is always concerned about the ever increasingly complicated challenges in our region.

Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh makes speech at the 12th Asia Security Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue) in Singapore

Vietnam has been actively involving in the regional defense-security mechanism. Together with this, the country has proactively proposed the solutions to the disputes and agreed to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and supported the formulation of the Codes of Conduct (COC) between ASEAN countries and China.

At the same time, Vietnam is willing to cooperate with all concerning parties to seek a basic and long-term solution to the issues in the East Sea on the principles of international laws, especially the UN’s 1982 Convention on the Laws of the Sea.

The gradual modernisation of Vietnam’s army not only serves the legitimate self-defense rights but also enhances the capabilities to restore the consequences of wars, deals with non-traditional security issues and takes part in the production activities, thus contributing to the national construction.

Along with the regional cooperation, Vietnam has proactively coped with those challenges. As a coastal country, Vietnam realises its responsibility for ensuring the maritime security in the region.

Over the past years, Vietnamese forces have rescued a lot of fishermen from the accidents at sea, a great number of whom are foreign fishermen. Noticeably, in November 2012, the Vietnam’ Marine Police arrested 11 armed pirates in the East Sea, which reaffirmed Vietnam’s determination and responsibility in maintaining freedom, security and safety for the international sea lines within the continental shelf and the Economic Exclusive Zone of Vietnam in line with the UN’s 1982 Convention on the Laws of the Sea, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region.

The Deputy Defence Minister also called on concerned parties in the East Sea to respect and protect fishermen, absolutely avoid the use force against them by all means including military and non-military means. He said that the inhumane actions against the fishermen are unacceptable, noting these are the common norms of international laws and the moral codes of the present day world. With the Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s message of building strategic trust, Vietnam believes that countries will have more practical steps of cooperation in the spirit of mutual understanding, equality, mutual support and respect, which is the best way to preserve peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

As co-chairman of ADMM Plus Experts Working Groups on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief with China, Vietnam is about to send military personnel to join the field exercises on Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief and Military Medicine in Brunei in June.

This is the first time for ADMM Plus to carry out the coordination in field actions and it is also the first time for Vietnam to send troops overseas to take part in multilateral activities. In addition to these areas of cooperation, Vietnam has just proposed a new initiative for the establishment of Humanitarian Mine Action Group. This is the 6th item of cooperation in ADMM Plus. The Vietnamese defense official reiterated the request for further cooperation among the Navies, Maritime Polices and Border Guards and for the establishment of the hotline between ASEAN Defense Ministers.

He suggested the ASEAN Ministers of Defence consider the signing of a no-first-use-of-force agreement in order to consolidate the mutual trust among ASEAN countries, saying the experience gained from this will be eventually expanded to the nations of the Asia-Pacific Region.