Margarita (VNA) - The strength of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is best shown when its member countries are unified, raise one voice and act as one, on⛄ the basis of the founding objectives and principles of the movement, Vietnamese Deputy P❀rime Minister Pham Binh Minh has said.

The Deputy PM and Foreign Minister sent the message to the 17th NAM Summit that kicked off in Margarita, Venezuela on September 17. In his speech titled “strengthening solidarity on the basis of common objectives and principles for peace, sovereignty and sustainable development,” the Vietnamese representative said over the past 55 years, NAM has grown stronger and greatly contributed to the struggle for peace, national independence, against war and to the mutual assistance for development. The official noted that along with development opportunities, the world today presents many unprecedented challenges. Security threats, conflicts, lack of respect for or disregard of international law, interference, coercion and imposition by big powers of values, views and selfish interests still linger, he added. On top of those, he said, inequities in international trade and finance, climate change, environment and marginalization risk, unilateralism and terrorism have been on the rise and cannot be addressed by a single country. In this context, NAM must first reconsolidate the unity and solidarity of its 120 members. In this endeavor, adherence to international law is the prerequisite for a stable, democratic and rules-based international relation and to ensure the respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and international peace and security, he suggested. The Deputy PM underlined the need to strive for the best development interests of the Movement in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, with particularly emphasis on the principle of “Common But Differentiated Responsibilities.” At the same time, it is necessary to revitalize and explore innovative modalities to foster such cooperation mechanisms as South-South, tripartite, intra- and inter-regional and sub-regional cooperation, he said. Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh also referred to ASEAN’s efforts in building its Community, especially in promoting peace, security, stability and development, and addressing complicated regional challenges, including the East Sea issue. He called upon all parties concerned to exercise self-restraint and solve disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully respect diplomatic and legal processes, implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and expedite the completion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). ASEAN member countries also expressed their concerns over recent developments in the East Sea and suggested the summit back the peaceful settlement of the disputes in line with international law. The two-day summit brings together 22 President and Prime Ministers, 11 Vice Presidents and Deputy Prime Ministers, heads of delegations of NAM member countries, observatory countries and organisations, and guests. The Non-Aligned Movement is the second largest international organisation in the world, after the United Nations (UN). It currently has 120 member states, 17 observer countries, and 10 observer organisations.-VNA