Foreign ministers from ASEAN member states have discussed issues in the East Vietnam Sea during the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane, Laos, happening between July 23 and 26.

The high-ranking officials, along with ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh, discussed several matters during sitting sessions within the framework of the event.

ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a ten-member politico-economic organization whose members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

According to a press release by the host country, the delegates have conferred on the execution of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, especially the ASEAN Political – Security Community 2025.

The foreign ministers also had candid and constructive conversations with regard to regional and international issues, including terrorism, human trafficking, the illegal trade of drugs, natural disasters, and developments in the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula, and East Vietnam Sea, Laos said in the announcement.

A source from Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the delegates had exchanged many ideas regarding the East Vietnam Sea, asserting that the maritime area was significant to regional peace, stability, and cooperation.

The officials also expressed their concern over the recent complicated developments in the seaway, namely the militarization that has intensified, damaged trust, and compromised security and safety in the region.

Many of the participants reiterated that ASEAN needed to boost solidarity and unity within the member nations as well as magnifying its central role in the preservation of peace, urging relevant parties to settle their disputes via amicable measures.

The ministers also mentioned several matters relating to the international tribunal established in accordance with annex VII of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the source said.

They underlined the importance of negotiation and exclusion of violence or threat when solving differences, respecting international law, namely the UNCLOS, Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC), and soon to be established Code of Conduct (COC) for the sea area.         

Speaking at the opening session of the AMM, Laotian Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith said that the event was a good opportunity to express opinions on local and global issuess and to strengthen the relationships of ASEAN partners.

During an interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Charles Morrison, president of the East-West Center based in Hawaii, the United States, stated that no nation was excluded from issues regarding peace and security.

ASEAN has the right to seek international support for the peaceful resolution of disputes for the sake of regional interests, Morrison said.

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