Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung delivered a keynote address at the 12th Shangri-La Dialogue held on May 31 in Singapore, calling on nations to build strategic trust for peace, cooperation and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
At the 12th Shangri La Dialogue, the international public paid special attention to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s address as it was the first time a Prime Minister of Vietnam had a speech at the largest security forum in the region and in the world, and because of the keynote speech’s special content.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung delivers a keynote address at the 12th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
Photo: Duc Tam – VNA
The 12th Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore attracted special attention from policymakers in the fields of national defence and security and many experts and scholars in the countries in the Asian-Pacific region. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA
Photo: Duc Tam – VNA
The 12th Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore attracted special attention from policymakers in the fields of national defence and security and many experts and scholars in the countries in the Asian-Pacific region. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA
| « Initiated by the International Institute for Strategy Studies (IISS), the annual Shangri-La Dialogue was first held in 2002. It has becomes a significant event of great importance for regional and international security. It is a venue for leaders, policymakers and scholars across the Asia-Pacific region to discuss regional and global situations, strategic orientations for regional security, plus measures to promote defence cooperation while enhancing mutual understanding and trust. It also provides a chance for countries to show their views on security and defence policy of each country. »
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In his address, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung noted that the Asia-Pacific region now enjoys dynamic development and is home to the three biggest economies and many emerging ones of the world. However, it has also many implicit insecure factors that have negative effects on peace, stability and sustainable development in the region. He mentioned the unpredictable developments on the Korean Peninsula, sovereignty and territorial disputes from the East China Sea to the East Sea that were threatening regional peace and security and causing deep concerns to the international community.
He emphasized that it is projected that three fourths of global trade will be made via maritime routes and two thirds of that will be shipped across the East Sea. A single irresponsible action or instigation of conflict could well lead to the interruption of such huge trade flow, thus causing unforeseeable consequences not only to regional economies but also to the entire world.
He also stressed the message on reinforcing and building strategic trust for peace, cooperation, development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region on the basis of abiding international law and upholding the responsibilities of nations, especially of major powers.
To build strategic trust, the Prime Minister said that in today’s civilised world, the UN Charter, international law and universal principles and norms serve as mankind’s common values that must be respected. This also represents the precondition for strategic trust building. He also emphasized the role and indispensable contribution of a united ASEAN with its central role in many multi-cooperation mechanisms for peace, cooperation and prosperity in the Asian-Pacific region.
He emphasized that it is projected that three fourths of global trade will be made via maritime routes and two thirds of that will be shipped across the East Sea. A single irresponsible action or instigation of conflict could well lead to the interruption of such huge trade flow, thus causing unforeseeable consequences not only to regional economies but also to the entire world.
He also stressed the message on reinforcing and building strategic trust for peace, cooperation, development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region on the basis of abiding international law and upholding the responsibilities of nations, especially of major powers.
To build strategic trust, the Prime Minister said that in today’s civilised world, the UN Charter, international law and universal principles and norms serve as mankind’s common values that must be respected. This also represents the precondition for strategic trust building. He also emphasized the role and indispensable contribution of a united ASEAN with its central role in many multi-cooperation mechanisms for peace, cooperation and prosperity in the Asian-Pacific region.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung meets with Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA
Prime Minister Nguyen tan Dung talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong attend the ceremony to grant the supplementary licence for Dung Quat Thermal-Electricity Power. Photo: Duc Tam - VNA
Related to the East Sea issue, the Prime Minister affirmed the importance of peace, stability, marine security and safety; ASEAN and China need to uphold their responsibilities, mutually reinforce strategic trust, firstly and foremost by strictly implementing the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and doubling efforts to formulate a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) that conforms to international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS. ASEAN and its parties will mutually build a feasible mechanism to ensure security, safety and marine freedom in the region, making a contribution to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
| « We need an ASEAN united and strong, cooperating effectively with all countries to nurture peace and prosperity in the region, not an ASEAN in which member states are forced to take sides with one country or the other for the individual benefit of their own in relations with big powers.
(Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung)
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Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also affirmed that Vietnam consistently persists with the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism and diversification of external relations, being a friend and reliable partner to all nations, and a responsible member of the international community. Vietnam has spared no efforts to build and deepen strategic partnerships and mutually beneficial cooperative partnerships with other countries. It is also our desire to establish strategic partnerships with all the permanent members of the UN Security Council once the principles of independence, sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of each other, mutual respect, equal and mutually beneficial cooperation are committed and seriously implemented. He affirmed Vietnam’s defence policy as that of peace and self-defence. Vietnam will not be a military ally to any country and will not allow any country to set up military bases on Vietnamese territory. Vietnam will not ally itself with any country to counter another.
At this prestigious forum, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stated that Vietnam has decided to participate in UN peacekeeping operations, first in such areas as military engineering, military medicine and military observation.
Story:VNP - Photos: VNA
