19th ASEAN Regional Forum Security Policy Conference held online

The 19th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Security Policy Conference took place via videoconference under the chair of Cambodia on June 3.

The event was attended by officials of the 27 ARF members and the ASEAN Secretariat.

Participants exchanged viewpoints on international and regional issues of common concern, with a focus on emerging security challenges in the region and the world, orientations for intensifying regional defence ties in the post-pandemic period, and measures for building trust and strengthening solidarity and cooperation among the ARF members.

Addressing the event, Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien, head of the Vietnamese delegation, shared views on the emerging global and regional security situation, including traditional and non-traditional security challenges, notably the strategic competition and armed conflicts among countries, along with maritime security, including the East Sea issue.

He stressed that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence supports ASEAN cooperation as well as the bloc’s centrality in promoting ASEAN’s dialogue and cooperation with partners for peace, stability, and prosperity.

Vietnam also hopes that the countries will resolve all the conflicts and differences by peaceful means and with respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he stressed.

The Chair of the conference, Gen. Nem Sowat - Special Advisor to Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Bank and Director General of the Cambodian Defence Ministry’s General Department of Policy and Foreign Affairs, agreed with Vietnam’s viewpoint on the peaceful settlement of disagreements.

He showed support for upholding ASEAN’s role and ASEAN-led mechanisms like the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) and the ARF in ensuring peace and cooperation in the region.

NDO