Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh offeredVietnam’s opinions on directions and measures to achieve the formationof the ASEAN Community by the end of this year, as well as the bloc’spost-2015 vision at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Malaysia onJanuary 27-28.
He also suggested cooperationpriorities for ASEAN during 2015 and ways to deepen ASEAN’s ties withits partners and enhance its central role in the emerging regionalstructure.
Regarding the East Sea dispute, Minhurged the bloc to utilise its central role to ensure regional peace andsecurity and push the implementation of specific measures for the fulland effective observance of the Declaration on the Conduct of Partiesin the East Sea (DOC), particularly Article 5 on restraining and notcomplicating the situation, while accelerating result-orientednegotiations towards the early formulation of the Code of Conduct in theEast Sea (COC) and enacting trust-building measures to prevent andmanage sea incidents that can threaten peace, security, and maritime andaviation safety in the East Sea.
The ASEAN ForeignMinisters’ Retreat themed “Our People, Our Community, Our Vision”discussed many important contents in the year Malaysia is ASEAN Chair,including priorities of the bloc in 2015 and the progress of the ASEANCommunity building, among others.
Delegatesagreed on a series of key priorities, including launching the Communityas scheduled, completing a blueprint of the ASEAN Vision after 2015,improving the efficiency of the ASEAN apparatus, and expanding internaltrade and investment by strengthening cooperation among small- andmedium-sized enterprises, among others.
It wasreported that the group has achieved roughly 85 percent of the tasksrequired to formally establish the Community, with political-securitycomponents 85 percent completed, economics 78 percent, and socio-culture97 percent.
In order for the ASEAN to take shapeas schedule on December 31, member states should make stronger politicalcommitments, invest proper resources, value the harmony of national andregional interests, and improve the efficiency of ASEAN supervisorymechanisms, according to delegates.
To develop theASEAN Vision beyond 2015, the ASEAN established a high-level task forceto draft the blueprint of action plans for 2016-2025, to be submitted toASEAN leaders for approval during their 27 th Summit in November.
Ministers affirmed that the ASEAN should uphold its significant rolein promptly dealing with arising challenges and crises in the region vialaunching fast-response mechanisms, while fortifying internalconnectivity, solidarity and unity to secure the ASEAN’s central role inthe emerging regional structure.
They agreed thatthe bloc should improve the efficiency of its forums and mechanisms,including the ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN RegionalForum, the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting, and the Expanded ASEANMaritime Forum.
Turning to regional and globalissues, the meeting issued a declaration of ASEAN Foreign Ministerscondemning violence and atrocities from extremist organisations in Iraqand Syria.
Expressing concern over the recentcomplicated developments in the East Sea, ministers requested theconcerned parties exercise restraint, avoid using force or threateningto do so, peacefully settle disputes in line with international lawincluding the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,fully observe the DOC, and work towards an early formation of the COC.-VNA
He also suggested cooperationpriorities for ASEAN during 2015 and ways to deepen ASEAN’s ties withits partners and enhance its central role in the emerging regionalstructure.
Regarding the East Sea dispute, Minhurged the bloc to utilise its central role to ensure regional peace andsecurity and push the implementation of specific measures for the fulland effective observance of the Declaration on the Conduct of Partiesin the East Sea (DOC), particularly Article 5 on restraining and notcomplicating the situation, while accelerating result-orientednegotiations towards the early formulation of the Code of Conduct in theEast Sea (COC) and enacting trust-building measures to prevent andmanage sea incidents that can threaten peace, security, and maritime andaviation safety in the East Sea.
The ASEAN ForeignMinisters’ Retreat themed “Our People, Our Community, Our Vision”discussed many important contents in the year Malaysia is ASEAN Chair,including priorities of the bloc in 2015 and the progress of the ASEANCommunity building, among others.
Delegatesagreed on a series of key priorities, including launching the Communityas scheduled, completing a blueprint of the ASEAN Vision after 2015,improving the efficiency of the ASEAN apparatus, and expanding internaltrade and investment by strengthening cooperation among small- andmedium-sized enterprises, among others.
It wasreported that the group has achieved roughly 85 percent of the tasksrequired to formally establish the Community, with political-securitycomponents 85 percent completed, economics 78 percent, and socio-culture97 percent.
In order for the ASEAN to take shapeas schedule on December 31, member states should make stronger politicalcommitments, invest proper resources, value the harmony of national andregional interests, and improve the efficiency of ASEAN supervisorymechanisms, according to delegates.
To develop theASEAN Vision beyond 2015, the ASEAN established a high-level task forceto draft the blueprint of action plans for 2016-2025, to be submitted toASEAN leaders for approval during their 27 th Summit in November.
Ministers affirmed that the ASEAN should uphold its significant rolein promptly dealing with arising challenges and crises in the region vialaunching fast-response mechanisms, while fortifying internalconnectivity, solidarity and unity to secure the ASEAN’s central role inthe emerging regional structure.
They agreed thatthe bloc should improve the efficiency of its forums and mechanisms,including the ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN RegionalForum, the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting, and the Expanded ASEANMaritime Forum.
Turning to regional and globalissues, the meeting issued a declaration of ASEAN Foreign Ministerscondemning violence and atrocities from extremist organisations in Iraqand Syria.
Expressing concern over the recentcomplicated developments in the East Sea, ministers requested theconcerned parties exercise restraint, avoid using force or threateningto do so, peacefully settle disputes in line with international lawincluding the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,fully observe the DOC, and work towards an early formation of the COC.-VNA
