Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi. (Photo:VGP)

Indonesia affirmed its support for Vietnam’s initiatives during its ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 with the theme “Cohesive and Resilient”, including the vision for ASEAN until 2025, a review of implementation of the ASEAN Charter, and maritime cooperation.

The two ministers voiced their concerns about recent developments in the East Sea, and condemned activities that violate the legitimate rights of coastal countries, saying they seriously threaten regional peace, stability, and security, run counter to the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and negatively affect negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC).

They said Vietnam, Indonesia, and other ASEAN countries should work to maintain a common voice and ASEAN’s central role in settling disputes on the basis of respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They agreed to continue close coordination within the framework of the UN in 2020.