Asean

East Sea situation discussed at AMM-52

Delegates to the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-52) in Bangkok on July 31 discussed the building of the ASEAN Community and foreign relations, and exchanged ideas on international and regional issues of common concern, including the situation in the East Sea. 
The ASEAN foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation to maintain and promote regional peace, stability and security; and effectively address emerging challenges.

Accordingly, ASEAN would actively implement the ASEAN Political-Security Community by 2025, prioritizing cooperation in response to non-traditional challenges, strengthening defense-security cooperation and maritime cooperation, and actively promoting ASEAN principles and standards of conduct.

On the occasion, the ministers signed a document to expand the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), enabling Peru to join the treaty, raising the total members of the treaty to 38.

They also had intensive and extensive discussions on the situation in the East Sea, took note of the concerns on the activities, especially the ongoing serious incidents in the East Sea. The ASEAN reaffirmed the importance of complying with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), and called on the sides to practice restraint, not to militarize, to avoid conducting acts that complicate the situation, and to settle disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law and the UNCLOS 1982.



The 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-52) and related meetings were held in Bangkok from July 29 to August 3.
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the event.
In the photo: ASEAN foreign ministers pose for a photo. Photo: VNA



ASEAN foreign ministers pay a courtesy visit to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Photo: VNA


ASEAN foreign ministers attend the AMM-52 plenary session and a retreat to discuss
the building of the ASEAN Community and foreign relations, review preparations for year-end summits,
and exchange ideas on international and regional issues of common concern. Photo: VNA



Within the framework of AMM-52, ASEAN foreign ministers have a meeting with
representatives of ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). Photo: VNA



ASEAN foreign ministers sign a document to expand the Treaty of Amity and
Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), enabling Peru to join the treaty. Photo: VNA



AMM-52 issues a joint communiqué, covering the building of the ASEAN community, ASEAN political-security community,
ASEAN economic community, ASEAN socio-cultural community, ASEAN foreign relation and regional and international issues.
Photo: VNA



Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh attended a meeting of the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ). In the photo: ASEAN foreign minister at the working dinner. Photo: VNA


Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
co-chair the 10th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting attended by foreign ministers
from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Photo: VNA



At the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting. Photo: VNA


Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh meets with
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the ASEAN-US Ministerial Meeting. Photo: VNA 



Within the framework of the ASEAN-Russia Ministerial Meeting, Deputy Prime Minister
and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has a bilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Photo: VNA 



At the ASEAN-RoK Ministerial Meeting. Photo: VNA 


Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has a bilateral meeting
with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsurdi to foster the two countries’ strategic partnership across fields,
including cooperation in sea-related issues. Photo: VNA



At the ASEAN-New Zealand Ministerial Meeting. Photo: VNA 


At the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting. Photo: VNA

ASEAN countries committed to continuing efforts to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and to soon reach the effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh stressed that the East Sea situation was complicated, including unilateral acts like militarization and increase of military exercises, especially the violation of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf for illegal exploration activities by China’s Haiyang Dizhi 8 with the escort of their coast guard ships.

These actions seriously violate Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction prescribed in the UNCLOS 1982, Deputy PM Minh said, adding they were subsequent to the large-scale encroachment and militarization of the disputed structures in the sea. Furthermore, they also eroded trust, intensified tension and directly affected peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of aviation and navigation in the East Sea, violated the DOC and went against the commitment to maintaining a favorable environment for COC negotiations, he said.

He suggested ASEAN maintain solidarity and common voice, reaffirm its principles and commitments to peace and stability, call for restraint and non-unilateral actions that harm dialogues and regional cooperation and hinder legitimate economic activities of the coastal countries, and try to build an effective and practical COC.

 
Story: VNP - Photos: VNA

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