Yerevan (VNA) – The 17th Summit of theInternational Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) wrapped up in Yerevan capitalcity of Armenia on October 12 afternoon after two working days.

The event was themed “Living together insolidarity, sharing humanistic values, and respect for diversity: a source ofpeace and prosperity in La Francophonie”. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister PhamBinh Minh led the Vietnamese delegation to the summit and many fringe bilateralmeetings.

At plenary sessions, participants focused onsecurity and political issues in the world and Francophone countries, alongwith strategies, programmes and measures to promote common values to connectthese countries such as peace, solidarity, respect for solidarity, cooperationand development.

The summit also reserved a session fordiscussing the OIF’s role and contribution to multilateral systems in settlingsecurity and economic challenges and ensuring peace, stability and sustainabledevelopment.

Leaders of 84 OIF member states approved manyimportant documents giving orientations to the Francophone community’sactivities in the time ahead, from peace, security, language and culturaldiversity, education, to economic cooperation and sustainable development, suchas the Yerevan Declaration, a cooperation programme for 2019-2022, a genderequality strategy, and some resolutions.

The Yerevan Declaration reaffirmed the members’connection with French – the foundation of the Francophone community – andtheir respect for cultural and language diversity. It also renewed thecommunity’s commitment to promoting an equal and fair world order based on thepurposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, peacefully resolvingcrises and conflicts in the Francophone space and encouraging dialogue andreconciliation to reach a solution to these crises and conflicts, andsupporting women’s further engagement in conflict prevention and settlement.

In the resolution on preventing crises andconflicts and consolidating peace in the Francophone space, the state andgovernment leaders continued to voice concern about the recent East Seasituation and called on relevant parties to exercise self-restraint, not use orthreaten to use force, and ensure the safety and freedom of navigation in andoverflight over the East Sea. 

They also called for resolving disputes bypeaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UNConvention on the Law of the Sea, respecting diplomatic and legal process andthe Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soonfinalising a substantive and efficient Code of Conduct in the waters.

The summit elected Rwandan Foreign MinisterLouise Mushikiwabo as new Secretary-General of the OIF. Participants also sawthe transferring of the OIF chairmanship from Madagascar to Armenia.

They decided to admit Ireland, Gambia, Malta andthe US state of Louisiana as observers, raising the number of OIF members andobservers to 88, and upgraded the status of Kosovo, Serbia and the United ArabEmirates from an observer to an associated member. 

The 18th Francophonie Summit will take place inTunisia in 2020.-VNA