Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Foreign Minister and head ofthe Vietnam ASEAN SOM NguyenQuoc Dung onJune 21 attended the ASEAN Senior Officials'Meeting (ASEAN SOM) and a meeting of theExecutive Committee of the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (ExComSEANWFZ) Treaty Commission, which werehosted virtually by Brunei – the chair of ASEAN in 2021.

At the events, the Vietnamese official affirmed the supportfor Brunei's priorities and initiatives in 2021, and proposed directions to speedup the implementation of Vietnam's initiatives put forth in the ASEAN Chairmanship Year2020.

He also voiced important ideas on directions for handling issues relating tothe relations between ASEAN and its partners on the basis of ensuring the association’scentral role.

Dung updated participants on the progress of completing the Memorandum ofUnderstanding on activities related to SEANWFZ.

Regarding international and regional issues, Dung called on ASEAN countries to continue maintaining consistent principles andapproaches in the East Sea issue in the context of recent complicated developments in the waters, and creating afavourable environment forsubstantive negotiations in order to soon achieve an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He underlined the urgent need to early implement the “five-point consensus”on Myanmar reached at the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on April 24, saying that this directlyaffects the prestige, image andcentral role of ASEAN.

The Deputy FM also proposed anumber of specific measures to promote intra-blocefforts in this issue.

At the ASEAN SOM, representatives from ASEAN member countries discussed andagreed on directions to accelerate the implementation of initiatives and prioritiesproposed by Brunei in 2021, including the theStrategic and Holistic Initiative to Link ASEAN Responses to Emergencies and Disasters (ASEAN SHIELD) to strengthen ASEAN's synergy torespond to natural disasters; a scholarshipprogramme for young ASEAN cadres; building ASEAN's common awareness onblue economy.
They also debated theimplementation of initiatives proposed by Vietnam as ASEAN Chair 2020.

Meanwhile, at the SEANWFZ ExCom,attendees reaffirmed the importance of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-FreeZone, saying that this is a key document that demonstrates ASEAN'scommitment to maintaining a Southeast Asia region without nuclear weapons, thuscontributing to regional security and international efforts in  disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction./.