Prime Minister: ASEM needs to promote regional and global cooperation dialogue

The Prime Minister asked ASEM members to continue to demonstrate political determination and high responsibility, and take the lead in promoting dialogue and cooperation mechanisms.

This morning (July 16), at the "ASEM Village" in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM 11) continued its second working day.

The Leaders held a meeting on “Strengthening the three pillars of ASEM cooperation”, focusing on discussing international and regional issues, especially those related to peace, security, terrorism, migration, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, maritime security, etc.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and ASEM leaders. Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

The Leaders shared their assessments of the complicated situation in the Middle East - North Africa, the Korean Peninsula, Ukraine, the immigration crisis, and the impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Many members expressed their concerns about new developments affecting the security environment in Asia, including the East Sea and the East China Sea.

The conference agreed on the urgent need to strengthen cooperation to maintain peace, security and stability. The leaders affirmed their commitment to working together to ensure peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation, aviation and unimpeded trade, to refrain from the use or threat of force and unilateral actions, and to resolve disputes through peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized that the goals of development, connectivity, economic integration and increased cooperation cannot be achieved in an unstable and uncertain environment. The current complex developments are posing an urgent need for the two continents to enhance dialogue in a constructive spirit, promote cooperation, share benefits and share common responsibilities in ensuring a peaceful and stable environment in order to concentrate all resources for development and implementation of the goals of the 2030 Agenda as well as other important goals recognized internationally.

The Prime Minister asked ASEM members to continue to demonstrate political determination and high responsibility, take the lead in promoting regional, inter-regional and global cooperation dialogue mechanisms, and focus on confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy.

The Prime Minister highlighted that Asia-Pacific continues to be a dynamically developing region and a driving force for global economic growth and connectivity. However, recent worrying developments in the East Sea, a vital international maritime and aviation route, are eroding trust, increasing tensions, and potentially threatening peace, security, and stability in the region and the world.

The Prime Minister assessed that over the past time, ASEAN has demonstrated its central role and together with other existing mechanisms at the regional and inter-regional levels, including ASEM, has made practical contributions to maintaining a peaceful, secure and stable environment in the region.

ASEAN has always maintained its stance of promoting dialogue; strengthening confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy; exercising self-restraint, not taking unilateral actions that cause tension and complicate the situation; not threatening or using force, not militarizing; fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC); and soon reaching a Code of Conduct (COC). Disputes must be resolved by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with full respect for diplomatic and legal processes.

The Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam has been making efforts, together with ASEAN members and the international community, to continue to increase practical and responsible contributions and promote dialogue to maintain an environment of peace, security and stability in the region and the world.

At noon on the same day, the ASEM 11 Summit ended successfully. The Conference adopted the Chairman's Statement and the Ulan Bator Declaration with many important decisions, conveying the strong message of the ASEM Leaders on the determination to strengthen the Asia-Europe partnership for the future through connectivity, and at the same time, orienting the Forum's cooperation in the coming time.

The Leaders also approved 20 new initiatives proposed by members and established the 20th Specialized Cooperation Group to realize cooperation orientations in the period of 2016 - 2018. In particular, Vietnam proposed the initiative on "ASEM Conference on Creative Education and Human Resource Development for Sustainable Development" and was highly appreciated by many members, who agreed to co-sponsor.

At the closing ceremony, members congratulated Mongolia for successfully hosting the 11th ASEM Summit, welcomed the EU for hosting the 12th ASEM Summit in 2018 and Myanmar for hosting the 13th Foreign Ministers' Meeting in 2017, and affirmed their joint efforts to ensure the success of the Summits.

After two days of intensive work, the ASEM 11 Summit concluded successfully, setting out specific directions and measures to enhance ASEM cooperation in the coming period. The positive results achieved at the Summit continued to affirm the role of ASEM as an important dialogue and cooperation mechanism, with many new and diverse cooperation initiatives, vividly demonstrating the common determination to strengthen the partnership between the two continents of Asia and Europe.

For Vietnam, the ASEM Forum continues to be an important inter-regional cooperation mechanism to promote economic, development and security interests and concerns as well as enhance our country's position.

All strategic partners, most comprehensive partners and free trade partners of our country are ASEM members. These are potential opportunities for ministries, sectors, localities and each citizen to take advantage of in the new development stage./.

According to VOV