Australia and Vietnam share interests in maintaining peace

According to VNA special correspondent, right after the talks on March 18, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott held a joint press conference to announce the results of the talks.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the press conference. Photo: VNA

The two leaders affirmed that the talks were successful, and the two sides reached important common perceptions on the direction of developing bilateral relations as well as cooperation in the region in the coming time.

Accordingly, the two sides reviewed the cooperation situation between the two countries and agreed that the relationship between Vietnam and Australia is developing very well, and affirmed that they attach importance to strengthening cooperation with each other and will continue to closely coordinate to promote and deepen the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

According to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, in addition to bilateral cooperation, the two sides also discussed many regional and international issues. The two sides agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea on the basis of compliance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and exercising restraint and avoiding actions that could increase tensions in the region, including coercion or the use of force to unilaterally change the status quo.

The two sides stressed the urgent need to develop a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), and affirmed to continue to coordinate effectively and closely with each other at regional and international forums of which both sides are members such as ASEAN-Australia cooperation, the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the United Nations; and to support and assist each other in negotiating and implementing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that the relationship between Vietnam and Australia has developed strongly in recent times thanks to the joint efforts of both countries.

Trade between the two countries has grown continuously in recent times and will continue to increase in the coming time when the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement is completed and signed.

Exchanges of delegations at all levels and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have also been vibrant. In addition, cooperation activities in security, defense, culture, education, etc. have also achieved many positive results.

In response to the media's concern about peace, stability and security in the region, Prime Minister Tony Abbott emphasized that Australia and Vietnam share common interests in maintaining peace and stability throughout the region.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott stated: “Both of our countries cherish peace because this whole region has enjoyed stability. So anything that would undermine that stability, we need to reject and we need to work together to ensure that doesn’t happen. Both of our countries support the maintenance of freedom of the seas, freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. Both of our countries oppose unilateral actions that change the status quo. Both of our countries believe that disputed areas should be resolved in accordance with international law.”

Prime Minister Tony Abbott also emphasized that the issues he mentioned in Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing are that all Asian countries need to come together and absolutely must come together to make every effort for long-term benefits, to maintain peace and stability in the region.

According to Vietnam+