Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on October 9 attended the 16th summit between ASEAN and its partners—Japan, the Republic of Korea and China.

Partner leaders affirmed their country’s recognition of great importance to cooperative relations with ASEAN and their support for the building of an ASEAN community which plays a crucial role in shaping regional structure.

They also pledged to enhance cooperation with ASEAN in coping with challenges and underlined the need to ensure peace, stability, security and maritime safety in the East Sea, on the basis of respect for international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

The 16th ASEAN-Japan Summit coincides with the two sides celebrating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations and ten years of their strategic partnership.

ASEAN leaders and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe praised the constant development of cooperative ties over the years and the effective implementation of the 2011-2015 action plan.

They affirmed their determination to finalize the trade service and investment agreement, creating a premise for building an ASEAN-Japan comprehensive economic partnership.

ASEAN leaders acknowledged Japan as one of the most important strategic partners of the ten-member group, which lays a firm foundation for elevating bilateral relationship in the coming time.

They applauded Japan’s polices towards ASEAN and the region, especially PM Shinzo Abe’s declaration on five principles of Japan’s ASEAN diplomacy, which affirms the attaching of importance to the relationship with ASEAN and supports the formation of its Community by 2015 as well as the grouping’s central role in the regional architecture.

They agreed to organise a summit celebrating the 40th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan dialogue in Tokyo December this year, during which they are scheduled to discuss measures and orientations to lift their strategic partnership to a higher level for the sake of peace, stability and prosperity of both sides and the region.

In his speech, PM Dung emphasized ASEAN-Japan should give top priority to strengthening economic connectivity, narrowing development gaps, boosting educational and Sub-Mekong regional cooperation and developing human resources.

At the 16th ASEAN-the Republic of Korea Summit, PM Dung proposed the two nations increase cooperation in prioritised areas such as narrowing the development gap, developing human resources, boosting people-to-people exchange and political and security cooperation including maritime security, non- tradition, energy and food security.

Vietnam greatly values the Mekong-RoK comprehensive cooperation in the process of building an ASEAN community. Vietnam has a great honour to hold the second Mekong-RoK Business Forum in 2014- the year of Mekong-RoK exchange, he said.

At the summit, ASEAN leaders and RoK President Park Geun-hye expressed satisfaction at the development of their strategic partnership and their common aspiration for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

They underscored the peaceful settlement of disputes, the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and improvement of inter-Korea relations.

At the same time, the leaders also stressed the importance of ensuring peace, maritime security and safety in the East Sea on the basis of respect for international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

 

They agreed to hold a Special Summit in December 2014 in the RoK to mark the 25th  anniversary of the ASEAN – RoK dialogue relations, during which major orientations will be worked out for their ties in the time ahead.

Addressing the 16thASEAN-China Summit, PM Dung said the early building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China will greatly contribute to better ensuring peace, security, and maritime safety in the East Sea.

ASEAN and China need to make greater efforts and higher political determination to enter official and substantial negotiations for a COC as soon as possible.

Dung also shared orientations for broader ASEAN-China cooperation in infrastructure connectivity, economics, trade and investment, natural disaster management, adaption to climate change, energy and food security and sustainable use and effective management of water resources.

He urged accelerating economic, trade and investment cooperation and connectivity by enhancing the role and effectiveness of existing mechanisms. At the same time, cultural and people-to-people exchanges should be promoted to raise public awareness of the importance of the ASEAN – China strategic partnership.

The PM said ASEAN and China share common aspirations and interests in maintaining peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea, peacefully settling disputes in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the East Sea and early building the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

He said he believes with strong political will and past successes, the ASEAN – China strategic partnership will develop in both width and depth, contributing to peace, stability and common development in the region.

At the meeting, delegates praised the success of activities held on the occasion of the 10th  anniversary of ASEAN-China strategic partnership, including the ASEAN – China Foreign Ministers’ Special Meeting in China in August this year, the trip of ASEAN regional economic ministers to China and a high-level forum also in August.

Both sides called for stronger cooperation in key areas of trade, investment and connectivity as well as in energy and food security, science-technology, transport, education and health care.

They will also effectively realise commitments within the ASEAN – China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) framework, towards lifting two-way trade to US$500 billion by 2015.

The Chinese side put forward several proposals aimed at enhancing links with ASEAN, while affirming that China places importance on cooperation with ASEAN. China also stressed that it supports the bloc’s efforts to build the ASEAN Community as well as its central role in the regional architecture.

Both sides vowed to fully abide by their commitments as specified in the DOC and the Joint Statement of the ASEAN- China Summit on the 10th anniversary of the DOC with a view to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the East Sea.

The meeting hailed the launch of official consultations between ASEAN and China at the Senior Officials level on the COC in China this September, and said the two sides should make greater efforts towards the COC.

China also made some proposals on closer cooperation with ASEAN. ASEAN and Chinese leaders adopted a joint statement marking the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.

The same day, PM Dung joined the first ASEAN-US summit and the Sultan of Brunei hosted a gala dinner in honour of PM Dung along with other ASEAN leaders and officials.

(VOV)