During their recent meetings, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed that East Sea issue is the bloc’s common concern as it relates to peace, stability and security in the entire region, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh said. At the meetings in Brunei from April 10 to 11, the ministers emphasized the bloc’s common principles, which include ensuring peace and stability in the East Sea, settling disputes through peaceful measures, respecting international laws, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully and effectively observing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and working towards the conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.

After reaching a common stance on the East Sea issue, ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed to support Brunei to issue a joint communiqué on the issue. At their meetings, the Foreign Ministers mainly focused on a number of key issues, Vinh said. Firstly, ASEAN member countries all agreed that East Sea issue is a common concern of the bloc as it relates to peace, stability, and security in the region. Secondly, ASEAN member countries need to enhance solidarity and further strengthen  its central role in observing strictly observe ASEAN’s six-point principles, joint declaration on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the signing of DOC , and commitment to conclusion of COC between ASEAN and China. Thirdly, ASEAN Foreign Ministers laid special emphasis on the need for the group to continue uniting and further bringing into full play their centrality to uphold these common principles. And the last, the ministers tasked senior officials to actively work with Chinese side for early launch of COC negotiations, which is more legally-binding than DOC. The recent meetings are aimed at preparing for the 22nd ASEAN Summit, which will take place on April 24-25, 2013 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

The summit's agenda will include the building of ASEAN Community and orientations for the bloc’s future, maintaining solidarity among the bloc's members, promoting ASEAN’s central role in the region, and expanding its external relations.