(VOVWORLD) - Defence Ministers of the ASEAN countries on Monday held an unofficial meeting with their counterparts from China, Japan, and the US.
 (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
In his address, Vietnam’s Defense Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich appreciates China’s support for ASEAN and its contribution to ASEAN-led defense cooperation mechanisms, like ADMM+ and the ASEAN Regional Forum. ASEAN and China have completed the framework of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said Japan backs ASEAN’s central role. Japan has pledged to help improve ASEAN’s capacity and promote cooperation on the basis of “Vientiane Vision”, he said.
US Defense Secretary James Mattis called for full commitment to the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and prompt finalization of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea. Lich said he hopes the US will support peaceful solutions to East Sea disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea with full respect for diplomatic and legal procedures.
On the sidelines of the 11th ADMM, Lich also met his Laotian counterpart Senior Lieutenant General Chansamon Channhalat.