Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister emphasizes ASEAN's stance on the East Sea

Continuing activities within the framework of the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-52) and related meetings in Bangkok, on the morning of August 2, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Foreign Ministers of the East Asia Summit (EAS) countries attended the 9th EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh attended the conference. Photo: Huu Kien/Thailand

At the Conference, countries continued to affirm the position and role of EAS after 14 years of establishment, as a forum for leaders on strategic political and economic issues, an important component of an open, inclusive, transparent and rules-based regional structure in which ASEAN plays a central role.

The Ministers stressed the importance of the EAS in strengthening multilateral approaches and regional and international order based on recognized values ​​of international law, contributing to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

EAS participating countries agreed to continue promoting practical and effective cooperation activities in priority areas in the Manila Action Plan for the 2018-2022 period, including environment - energy, education, finance, health - epidemics, disaster management, connectivity, economy - trade, food security and maritime cooperation.

The Ministers also shared the need to strengthen the EAS to better meet the requirements and demands of the new situation, including ensuring effective implementation of agreements of the Senior Leaders, enhancing the role of the EAS Unit at the ASEAN Secretariat and the exchange mechanism between the ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) and Ambassadors of partner countries participating in the EAS in Jakarta (Indonesia).

On this occasion, the Ministers agreed on a plan to submit three documents to the 14th EAS Summit in late 2019 for consideration and approval, including: Declaration on combating drug trafficking; Declaration on combating transnational crime; and Declaration on connectivity.

Regarding the international and regional situation, the Ministers noted recent positive developments on the Korean Peninsula, including high-level contacts between the US and North Korea in Singapore, Hanoi and the Panmunjom Demilitarized Zone.

Countries support efforts to resume negotiations, step up diplomatic activities and dialogue to find a long-term solution for the goal of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization, for sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.

EAS countries also affirmed their continued commitment to strictly complying with relevant Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council on this issue.

The situation in the East Sea was discussed extensively by the countries in a frank and constructive spirit. Many countries expressed deep concern about recent developments on the ground, including militarization and activities that threaten the legitimate economic activities of coastal countries, erode trust, cause tension and have adverse impacts on the overall peaceful and stable environment in the region.

The EAS Ministers reiterated the importance of maintaining peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, non-militarization, no actions that complicate the situation, unilaterally change the status quo, and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

The countries also emphasized that all sovereignty claims must be based on the legal basis of international law, and disagreed with coercive actions to assert sovereignty claims.

Speaking at the Conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh shared countries' assessments of the important role and position of the EAS in the regional structure, especially in the context of complex and unpredictable movements of the situation that are placing increasingly high demands and requirements on the EAS.

The Deputy Prime Minister supports efforts to strengthen the role of the EAS Chair, which is also the Chair of ASEAN, ASEAN+3 and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and to increase the close and complementary relationship between these mechanisms.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that maritime cooperation and connectivity are two areas in which EAS participating countries have potential, in line with the interests and cooperation needs in the region, and need to continue to be promoted.

Regarding the situation in the East Sea, following the concerns expressed by EAS countries at the Conference, the Deputy Prime Minister shared more about unilateral activities that violate the sovereignty and legitimate interests of coastal countries, reaffirming that Vietnam has full historical and legal basis for the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated ASEAN's principled stance on the East Sea, calling for increased trust, non-militarization, restraint, no actions that complicate the situation, increase tensions, no threats to use force or use force, strict compliance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS, serious implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the development of an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law.