Delegates at the event (Source: VNA) Tokyo (VNA) – Deputy DefenceMinister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh led a Vietnamese delegation to attendthe 9th ASEAN-Japan Defence Vice-Ministerial Forum that opened in Fukuoka,Japan, on September 13.
The event saw the attendance of Japanese DeputyMinister of Defence Ro Manabe and representatives of 10 ASEAN member countriesand the ASEAN Secretariat. It included three main sessions on the enhancedachievements and solidarity, the regional security situation, and the VientianeVision’s facts and prospects.
Speaking at the first session, Deputy MinisterSen. Lieut. Gen. Vinh said over the last five decades, ASEAN has obtainedconsiderable achievements in the fields of politics-security, economy andculture-society.
Vietnam has joined hands with other ASEANmembers in building a strong, united and identity-rich ASEAN Community thatplays a central role in the region and the world. Many fruitful cooperationmechanisms within the ASEAN framework have been greatly contributed by Vietnamsuch as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM ).
However, the room for ASEAN development remainsimmense, he noted, adding that the member countries need to strengthen solidarityand unanimity on the basis of the consensus principle, which is based oninternational law, the ASEAN Charter and internationally-recognised values.
According to the Deputy Minister, new securitychallenges have emerged recently in the region and the world, requiring theASEAN nations have a new approach and a thorough viewpoint for further development.Each ASEAN country has its own problems and they need joint efforts to addressthose problems. The ASEAN members should set aside their own interests toovercome differences and reach consensus for the sake of the whole community.
It is necessary to specify the standards forASEAN to look towards, including practical and effective cooperation, he added.
He said Vietnam not only needs cooperation andassistance from the international community and other ASEAN countries but isalso ready to share experiences in clearing mines and bombs, settling warconsequences, search and rescue, and military medicine.
Meanwhile, the ADMM cooperation mechanism shouldsoon regularise such issues as new member admission, observer countries, orwhether the ADMM should be organised annually instead of biennially, Vinhsaid.
The Vietnamese officer applauded Japan’s effortsin organising the ASEAN-Japan Defence Vice-Ministerial Forum and activelyparticipating regional and international security issues.
He expressed his hope that in 2020, when theADMM will mark its 10th founding anniversary and be held by Vietnam,fundamental issues will be solved so that the ADMM will be an equal andresponsible structure benefiting each country while maintaining peace andstability in the region and the world.
In a speech at the second session on maritimesecurity, a Japanese delegate voiced concern about marine security challenges,especially island reinforcement and structure building in the East Sea andunilaterally altering the status quo in the waters which run counter tointernational law.
Japan persistently opposes these actions andhopes that the ASEAN countries will unite together and have a common voice inrelated issues, and soon reach a practical and effective Code of Conduct in theEast Sea (COC), the Japanese delegate added.-VNA
VNA
