The 21^st ASEAN Summit themed “One Community, One Destiny” was held on November 18-20, 2012 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Vietnamese delegation led by Prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung participated in the Summit and related meetings, making a contribution to the sucess of the event.

Maintaining solidarity and upholding the central role

During the sessions of the 21^st ASEAN Summit, leaders of ASEAN member countries discussed measures to advance the ongoing process of building the ASEAN community, increasing regional connectivity and promoting the bloc’s external relations and the central role of ASEAN as well as exchanging opinions on international and regional issues of mutual concern. The leaders emphazised ASEAN should be determined and make more efforts to complete the plans as set for economic connectivity, connectivity implementation, increasing regional competitiveness and promoting sustainable and equal development.

Addressing the plenary session of the 21^st ASEAN Summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that in the decisive stage of the ongoing process of building the community, ASEAN should maintain solidarity, uphold its central role in tackling issues related to interests and key cooperation of ASEAN. ASEAN should be determined to continue effectively implementing the roadmap of building the ASEAN Community in the 2009-2012 period and complete the targets set for each pillar, especially the shaping of an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

«...           In terms of the East Sea, ASEAN leaders emphasized the importance of ensuring peace, stability, maritime security and safety, solving disputes by peaceful measures and not using or threatening to use forces; respecting the principles of International Law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 (UNCLOS); implementing effectively ASEAN’s six-point principles on the East Sea, DOC and early building COC.

At the closed-door session of the 21st ASEAN Summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung gave out many opinions on major issues of ASEAN, emphasizing the content of building an ASEAN Community, implementing the master plan on ASEAN connectivity; strengthenting external relations and the central role of ASEAN in the regional structure; promoting cooperation on effectively coping with emerging challenges in the region; and bringing into full play the role of ASEAN for peace, security and development in the region.

In terms of the East Sea, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stressed that the East Sea has become an issue of common concern, related to maintaining peace, stability and security in the region. ASEAN should bring into full play its role and raise its voice in this issue on the basis of common viewpoints of emphasizing peace and stability in the East Sea, including maritime security and safety; obeying the International law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 that includes regulations on respecting special economic zones and the continental shelf of coastal nations; solving disputes among related parties through peaceful measures; respecting and strictly and fully implementing the Declaration of Conduct of Parties (DOC) and promoting the early creation of a Code of Conduct (COC). Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung applauded ASEAN’s concensus on basic factors of COC as the basis to exchange with China. He suggested ASEAN continue promoting official negotiations on building a COC between ASEAN and China.

At the 21st ASEAN Summit, ASEAN leaders issued the Phnom Penh Declaration, adopted the ASEAN Human Rights Declaraton; a Plant of Action to implement the Bali Concord III of “ASEAN Community in a Global Community of Nations” and officially annouced the establishment of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR). The ASEAN state leaders officially approved Vietnam’s nomination of Deputy Foreign Minister Le Luong Minh as ASEAN Secretary General for the 2013-2017 period.

Promoting cooperation between ASEAN and partners

At the SEAN+1 Summits between ASEAN with China, Japan, South Korea, India, the US and the ASEAN+3 Summit between ASEAN and China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, the leaders focused on measures to strengthen relations between ASEAN and its partners, particularly in assisting the group in building the ASEAN community by 2015. ASEAN leaders and partners highly appreciated the progress obtained and discussed measures to further strenghthen cooperation for common benefits.

ASEAN with other countries agreed to focus resources to effectively implement action programmes between ASEAN and each partner to promote cooperation in all fields of economics, trade, investment, non-traditional security issues and cope with challenges, such as climate change, managing natural disasters, trans-national crime, maritime security and safety..

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attends the 15th ASEAN-Japan Summit. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attends the 15th ASEAN-South Korea Summit. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attends ASEAN+3 Summit between ASEAN and China, the Republic of Korea and Japan. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA Panoramic view of the 4th ASEAN-the US Summit. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA Panoramic view of the 10th ASEAN-India Summit. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA The 15th ASEAN-China Summit. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attends the ASEAN Global Dialogue (AGD). Photo: Duc Tam – VNA The plenary session of the 7th EAS Summit. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen presents the  ASEAN presidency symbol to Hassan al Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei at the closing ceremony of the Summit. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA On the sidelines of the 21st ASEAN Summit and related meetings, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen. Photo: Duc Tam - VNA

«...           On the sidelines of the 21st ASEAN Summit and related meetings, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Philippines President Benigno Aquino, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and attended the meeting between ASEAN leaders and ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and ASEAN Global Dialogue.

At the ASEAN+1 and ASEAN+3 Summits, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung suggested many practical measures to effectively and timely implement cooperation programmes and projects within ASEAN and between the bloc and its partners in the fields of economics, trade, investment, human resources deveopment, information technology, science and technology, adaptation to emerging challenges and non-traditional security issues.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung applauded the ASEAN-China adoption of a declaration on celebrating the 10th anniversary of DOC in order to affirm the value, importance and full implementation of DOC. This in turn would contribute to peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea, as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of abiding by international law, particularly the UNCLOS 1982, towards the building of COC.

Participating in the 7th East Asia Summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung devivered an important speech at the plenary and closed-door sessions. He stressed EAS should strengthen cooperation in maritime security and safety because it was the common concern and benifit of the region and the world. The leaders adopted the EAS Declaration on East Asia Development Initiative and the EAS Declaration on anti-malarial medicine and officially started negotiations on Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

With an active and responsible spirit, the Vietnamese delegation with other ASEAN members contributed to the success of the summit, fostering the solidarity and central role of ASEAN to build a solid and strong ASEAN, for peace, security, stability, cooperation and development in the region.