Deputy FM briefs VOV on 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

Saturday, July 14, 2012 | 15:24:57

(VOVworld) - Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh told VOV reporters about the outcomes of the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-45), which concluded on Friday in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Vinh said the meeting reached major orientations for dealing with issues on building an ASEAN community, strengthening ties with partners and regional problems including the East Sea disputes:“First, efforts should be made to ensure the implementation of international law, respect of national independence and sovereignty and settle disputes peacefully. Second, ASEAN needs to promote the role of tools and forums on regional politics, security, cooperation and development. They include ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), region free from nuclear weapons, Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC) as well as ASEAN Regional Forum ARF, ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit and the extended ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting. All are necessary. Partners committed to supporting ASEAN to build a community, its central role and pledged to give more priorities to ASEAN for regional efforts.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Vinh told VOV about ASEAN’s progress in building Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC): “Countries voiced their deep concerns about recent developments, especially the violation of continental shelves and exclusive economic zones of coastal nations. During the course of discussions, other countries and Vietnam emphasized on the principles of respecting international laws, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, principles of settling disputes peacefully and the effective and full implementation of the DOC. So ASEAN received agreement from many countries that it’s necessary to accelerate the more legal binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Vinh said the Vietnamese delegation made active contributions to the AMM. Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh of Vietnam, who takes over the post of coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, chaired a ministerial meeting between ASEAN and China.