The Vietnamese delegation to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) made important contributions to ASEAN’s joint efforts in building a united community which has strong political links, close economic cooperation and shared social responsibilities.
The Vietnamese delegation to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) made important contributions to ASEAN’s joint efforts in building a united community which has strong political links, close economic cooperation and shared social responsibilities.
A Vietnamese delegation led by Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) on 13 - 14 August 2013 at the Hilton Hua Hin Resort, 200 km from the south of Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok.
In his address at the meeting, FM Minh highlighted Vietnam’s contributions to the prosperous development of ASEAN which plays a central role in dealing with issues on peace and security in the region.
The AMM Retreat was held at the initiative of Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul with a view to discussing ways of reinforcing the regional bloc after ASEAN becomes a community by 2015.
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The event provided a good opportunity for FMs to discuss how to improve ASEAN institutions to cope with global fluctuations effectively as well as ASEAN’s vision after 2015 to define orientations for a single community which ensured peace, stability and sustainable economic development in the future.
Other issues such as global healthcare, environmental challenges and smoke and dust clouds in the region were also touched upon.
FM Minh shared views on ASEAN orientations for its development until 2015 and beyond in which the regional grouping needs to properly implement immediate targets as a springboard for future goals in the next decades.
The AMM Retreat is also a rendezvous for top regional diplomats to prepare for a special ASEAN-China meeting scheduled to take place later this month in Beijing.
ASEAN and China are finding ways to lift their strategic partnership to new levels marking their 10th anniversary.
ASEAN needed to forge solidarity and to harmoniously adjust national and regional interests to ensure its central role and to make positive contributions to regional peace and security, FMs stressed.
They also exchanged views on ASEAN-China relations and how to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two sides thus paving the way for the 16th ASEAN-China Summit slated for Brunei in October.
ASEAN FMs deemed that ASEAN-China link had been a most dynamic and effective partnership which had recorded cooperation achievements for mutual benefits during the past 10 years.
The Vietnamese FM said that ASEAN and China should consolidate confidence building in all fields and fully implement the signed agreements on the East Sea, including the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards the building of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
(Source: VOV)
