Closing of the 47th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting

According to a VNA reporter in Nay Pyi Taw (Myanmar), within the framework of the 47th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings with partners, on August 10, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings with Australia and New Zealand, the 4th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting (EAS FMM-4) and the 21st ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting (ARF-21) continued to take place. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh attended the above-mentioned meetings.

Delegates at the forum. Photo: THX-TTXVN

At the conferences, the Foreign Ministers discussed and agreed on many directions and measures to further strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and its partners, promote the regional cooperation structure based on ASEAN-led processes to more effectively ensure peace, stability, security and development in the region, as well as exchange views on international and regional issues of common concern. The partners continued to affirm their commitment to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN, support ASEAN in building the ASEAN Community in 2015 and in the following development stages, realize connectivity, sustainable development and narrow the development gap, respond to common challenges as well as support ASEAN's central role in the regional structure. The Ministers welcomed Vietnam to host and chair the ASEAN Maritime Forum and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum in late August 2014, creating opportunities for countries to discuss extensively on initiatives and measures contributing to the above common goals.

Regarding the international and regional situation, the East Sea continues to be an issue of concern and much time is spent discussing among countries. Countries continue to express deep concern about the recent tense situation in the East Sea, which has seriously affected peace, security and stability in the region, so efforts must be made to ensure that similar incidents do not recur. Affirming that peace, stability, security and maritime safety in the East Sea are the common concerns and interests of all countries, the Ministers emphasized the need to comply with international law, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982); resolve disputes by peaceful means, exercise restraint, and refrain from the use or threat of use of force; stressed that ASEAN and China need to make further efforts to ensure full implementation of the commitments stated in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), first of all the provisions in Article 5 of the DOC on exercising self-restraint, not taking actions that cause instability and complicate the situation, and requiring the need to step up substantive negotiations to soon reach a Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) to better ensure peace and stability in the region.

The Ministers also discussed a number of other regional and international issues of mutual concern such as the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East... On this occasion, the Ministers also proposed specific directions to further promote ASEAN's relations with relevant partners.

At the ASEAN-Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the Ministers adopted the Action Plan for the Implementation of the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Partnership for the period 2015-2019, outlining directions and measures to further expand and deepen the partnership between the two sides; highly appreciated the activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations in 2014, and agreed to continue to coordinate closely to ensure the success of the ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit scheduled to be held later this year in Myanmar.

At the ASEAN-New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Ministers highly appreciated the achievements in implementing the ASEAN-New Zealand Plan of Action and four key initiatives, including the Scholarship Programme, the Young Entrepreneurs Leadership Exchange Programme, the Disaster Risk Management Programme Initiative, and the Agricultural Diplomacy Programme. ASEAN welcomed and appreciated New Zealand’s continued support for foreign language training and support of NZ$100 million for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam to implement projects to narrow the development gap in the 2011-2015 period.

At the 4th EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Ministers agreed to continue to strengthen and promote the important role and contribution of the EAS as a Leaders’ forum for dialogue and cooperation on strategic issues related to peace, security and development in the region, including political-security and economic issues, based on the objectives, principles and modalities stated in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration (2005), the Hanoi Declaration (2010) and the Bali Declaration on the Principles for Mutually Beneficial Relations (2011). The Ministers affirmed that the EAS is an important part of the regional architecture with ASEAN playing a central role and on this basis, it is necessary to continue to link the EAS with other ASEAN-led regional processes such as ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, EAS, ADMM+ and ARF. At the same time, the Ministers emphasized ASEAN's core role in promoting regional connectivity, and proposed accelerating negotiations and finalizing the agreement on the East Asia Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The Ministers also agreed to continue promoting EAS cooperation in finance, education, disease prevention, energy, disaster management, connectivity and maritime cooperation.

At the 21st ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Ministers continued to highlight the role of the ARF as the leading forum for dialogue and cooperation on politics, security, building trust and addressing security challenges in the region. In the face of recent complicated developments in the region, the countries emphasized the need to continue promoting compliance with the principles of international law and common standards of conduct in the region on the basis of promoting existing political-security instruments such as the TAC, DOC, SEANWFZ, and the Bali Declaration on the Principles of Mutually Beneficial Relations. The Ministers agreed to continue implementing confidence-building measures combined with preventive diplomacy, reviewing and ensuring effective implementation of the Hanoi Plan of Action on the ARF Vision 2020. On that basis, the Ministers approved work plans on priority areas such as maritime security, disaster relief, counter-terrorism and transnational crime, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

Speaking at the Conferences, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh highly appreciated the progress made in recent times in the cooperation between ASEAN and its partners. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister especially emphasized the role of the EAS and ARF in contributing to peace, security, stability and cooperation in the region; at the same time, he asked the partners to continue to increase support for ASEAN in realizing the goals of building the Community, linking and connecting, developing the sub-region and narrowing the development gap; and supporting ASEAN to promote its leading role in the region, especially in urgent issues related to peace and security. The Deputy Prime Minister also shared proposals and measures to further consolidate and enhance the role of EAS and ARF to contribute more effectively to peace, security and cooperation to build trust in the region, in which ASEAN needs to continue to strengthen its central role in the regional cooperation and security structure, and together with partner countries actively contribute to cooperation for peace, security and development cooperation in East Asia.

Regarding the East Sea issue, sharing deep concerns about recent tense incidents in the East Sea, especially China's illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh emphasized that countries need to commit and take measures to prevent similar violations from happening again. The Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, security, and maritime safety in the East Sea, and ASEAN principles as stated in the Six-Point Principles and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Statement on May 10, 2014, which emphasize compliance with international law, UNCLOS, DOC; resolving disputes by peaceful means, exercising self-restraint, not using or threatening to use force; fully and effectively implementing the DOC, especially the provision in Article 5 on not taking actions that complicate the situation, and promoting substantive negotiations to soon reach a COC.

The Closing Ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the Foreign Ministers' Meetings between ASEAN and its partners took place in the evening of the same day.

According to News