Towards building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea
On the afternoon of January 11, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat, the first meeting during Cambodia's 2012 ASEAN chairmanship, ended in Siem Reap.
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led the Vietnamese delegation to the conference. Speaking at the conference, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh highly appreciated the proactive role and positive contributions, and acknowledged the results achieved between ASEAN and China in adopting the guiding document for the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), contributing to the full implementation of the DOC.
ASEAN foreign ministers at the conference. Minister Pham Binh Minh stands fourth from left - Photo: AFP
In recent times, ASEAN has demonstrated its important role and made positive contributions to maintaining peace and stability in the region; promoted the principles of resolving disputes through peaceful negotiations, complying with international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and DOC; initiated the development of a Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC). On that basis, the Minister affirmed that Vietnam, as the coordinator of the ASEAN-China dialogue relationship, will closely coordinate with ASEAN to continue promoting dialogue, building trust and mutual understanding with China, including efforts towards building and perfecting the COC.
Ministers attending the conference also reaffirmed the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security and maritime safety; resolving disputes between relevant parties by peaceful means; respecting international law, especially UNCLOS; fully and effectively implementing the DOC, towards building a COC, especially in 2012, which marks the 10th anniversary of the DOC.
With the theme “ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny”, the 2012 ASEAN Chair proposed that the conference focus on accelerating efforts to build the ASEAN community on all three pillars: politics-security, economics and culture-society; enhancing connectivity and narrowing the development gap; promoting solidarity within ASEAN; and expanding ASEAN’s external relations.
The foreign ministers also affirmed that ASEAN strives to build a united, strong and closely connected community; at the same time, further enhance its position, voice and important role in the region and the international arena.
Regarding the implementation of the roadmap for building the ASEAN community and regional connectivity, the ministers agreed that ASEAN needs to mobilize the participation and active contribution of its people in the process of building an ASEAN community that is truly of the ASEAN people.
ASEAN needs to continue to strengthen dialogue, build trust as well as promote the development and sharing of standards of conduct, effectively promote existing regional political and security cooperation tools and mechanisms such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), the DOC, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
According to VNA
