Vietnam contributes to building ASEAN Community

With the motto of proactiveness, activeness and responsibility, the Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made great contributions to the success of the 18th ASEAN Summit, which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia from May 7-8.

Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh told the Vietnam News Agency that Vietnam’s activities at the 18 th ASEAN Summit were in line with the spirit of the 11 th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam on the country’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace and development, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, and proactive and active international integration.

According to Minh, with a determination to uphold results attained during the year Vietnam served as ASEAN Chair in 2010, at this summit, PM Dung suggested the continued acceleration of ASEAN cooperation in the direction of raising the “action” and “enforcement” in the implementation of the Roadmap of Building the ASEAN Community based on three pillars: security-politics, economics and socio-culture; strengthening coordination and supervision in carrying out community building plans on both national and regional levels; and emphasising the importance of narrowing the development gap between regional nations in order to create a firm foundation for ASEAN connectivity.

In addition, Vietnam and ASEAN countries exchanged measures to speed up and deepen the cooperation between ASEAN and its partners, creating conditions for large partners’ deeper participation in regional cooperation, thus actively contributing to peace, stability, security and development in the region as well as helping ASEAN build its community and effectively deal with challenges facing the region such as maritime security and safety, natural disaster management and climate change.

PM Dung stressed that cooperation in coping with climate change and boosting sustainable development is an important content of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) cooperation, especially the reasonable and sustainable exploitation and use of water resource.

The exploitation and use of Mekong River water resource, particularly the building of works on the main stream of the river, should ensure residents’ interests and the sustainable development of all riverside countries, especially those in the lower areas, he said, adding that this requires a close cooperation in using water resource between five ASEAN countries and China, which share the Mekong River.

To consolidate and promote ASEAN’s central role in regional cooperation processes and in a shaping regional structure, Vietnam and other ASEAN members underlined the need for the bloc to strengthen internal coordination and continue boosting dialogue and cooperation with China in order to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on Conducts of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and build a Code of Conducts in the East Sea (COC) by 2012 on the occasion of the DOC’s 10 th anniversary, thus better serving peace, stability and security in the East Sea.

ASEAN countries have discussed specific measures to implement a decision made by the 5 th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Hanoi in October 2010 on inviting Russian and US leaders to join the 6 th EAS later this year, Minh said.

During his stay in Indonesia to attend the 18 th ASEAN Summit, PM Dung had separate meetings with the Presidents of Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines and the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Laos to boost bilateral cooperation and exchange on issues of common concern.

Regarding discussions on the theme of “ASEAN Community in a Global Community”, issues relating to regional peace and stability as well as commitments reached during the 18 th ASEAN Summit, Deputy FM Minh pointed out that ASEAN’s successes over the past time, especially its specific cooperation results in 2010, made practical contributions to fostering intra-bloc connectivity, creating a strong push for ASEAN to strengthen relations with its partners and improve its role in the region.

These successes lay the foundation for ASEAN to strive for the next goal of raising its role and voice in the world, especially in the settlement of global issues, he concluded.

ASEAN focuses on community

The 18th ASEAN Summit concluded yesterday, May 8, with the release of the Chair’s Statement on ASEAN Community-Building, the implementation of ASEAN Charter and other issues.

During the two-day summit, the leaders of the 10 member states of the regional bloc agreed and adopted three joint statements on “ASEAN Community in a Global Community of Nations”, ” establishment of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation” and “Enhancing cooperation against trafficking in persons in Southeast Asia”.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung joined other ASEAN leaders to discuss an ASEAN community, an expanded East Asia Summit (EAS) and measures to strengthen ASEAN’s foreign relations and improve the bloc’s role in the international arena.

Prime Minister Dung highlighted Viet Nam’s views on implementation of the roadmap to build an ASEAN community and increase connectivity within the bloc, at the plenary meeting on Saturday.

ASEAN needed to define priorities and specific goals for each year, appoint agencies in charge of each area and increase coordination among agencies in order to carry out the roadmap, Dung said.

ASEAN also needed to explore different ways of attracting funding since the ability to mobilise resources would be significant in the success of master and working plans, he said.

Regarding the ASEAN political-security community, Dung stressed the need to promote the bloc’s existing political-security systems, including the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in Southeast Asia, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone Treaty, and the ASEAN Regional Forum, as well as to continue to build more norms of conduct to strengthen the environment of peace, stability, and co-operation in the region.

Dung also said the bloc should strive to keep the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community on schedule by 2015. ASEAN also needed to chart steps toward ASEAN economic connectivity after 2015, which would allow the bloc to integrate in a dynamic and flexible manner. The implementation of the master plan on ASEAN Connectivity needed to be given top priority and would be an important basis for building the ASEAN Community.

Dung also noted the need to define priorities and hasten the development of a supervision and evaluation system for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community blueprint expected to be applied early next year, and increase efforts to raise public awareness of the progress towards building the ASEAN Community.

Regarding the expanded East Asia Summit, the ASEAN leaders reaffirmed in a retreat meeting in Jakarta yesterday the objectives, principles, mechanisms and priorities of the EAS recorded in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the EAS in 2005 and the Ha Noi Declaration marking its fifth anniversary in 2010.

They applauded ASEAN foreign ministers’ recommendation to invite Russian and US leaders to join the sixth EAS later this year.

Regarding ASEAN’s foreign relations, the leaders praised the positive progress in relationships between ASEAN and its partners, especially specific results in the year Viet Nam assumed the ASEAN Chair in 2010.

They also agreed to step up efforts to deepen ASEAN’s relations with outside partners through co-operation frameworks and mechanisms such as ASEAN+1 (ASEAN with each dialogue partner), ASEAN+3 (ASEAN with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea ), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the EAS.

For the theme of the 18th ASEAN Summit “ASEAN Community in a Global Community”, the leaders agreed that while giving the highest priority and resources to its goals of building community, expanding partnership and maintaining its central role in shaping regional structure, ASEAN should actively consult and share information, and boost co-ordination, especially in issues of common benefit, to further promote its role and voice in the international arena.

Regarding the East Sea issue and the Declaration on Conducts of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC), the ASEAN leaders affirmed that peace, security and stability in the East Sea, including maritime security and safety, were in the common interests of all nations. Disputes over sovereignty in the East Sea should be solved among concerned parties through peaceful solutions on the basis of abiding by international law, including the UN’s Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982. The DOC would help to maintain peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea.

ASEAN supports the early completion of guiding principles for the implementation of the DOC and the building of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in 2012 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the DOC, they said.

The ASEAN leaders also stressed the importance of strengthening solidarity and co-ordination in parallel with fostering dialogues and co-operation with China to fully and effectively realise the DOC.

Regarding the Thailand-Cambodia situation, the ASEAN leaders expressed their wish that the two countries would address their conflict peacefully in line with the spirit of ASEAN solidarity reflected in the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation (TAC), and the ASEAN Charter.

They spoke highly of the contributions made by Indonesia as ASEAN Chair to border dispute reconciliation between Thailand and Cambodia.

Also at the meeting, the ASEAN leaders agreed in principle to Myanmar’s proposal on its assumption of the ASEAN Chair in 2014.

Relating to Timor Leste’s proposal to join ASEAN, the leaders agreed that more time was needed for both ASEAN and Timor Leste to prepare.

ASEAN foreign ministers were entrusted to consider thoroughly all aspects before submitting this issue to the ASEAN leaders.

ASEAN pledged to further accelerate regional co-operation in coping with challenges, especially climate change, natural disaster management, cooking and energy security.

At meetings during the summit, Prime Minister Dung stressed that the expansion of the EAS was aimed at maintaining ASEAN’s central role in the expanded EAS in particular and in shaping regional structure in general.

Dung stated that countries should take advantage of the expansion of the EAS to improve their roles and serve ASEAN’s best interests as well as pay due attention to aspirations and interests of partners in the EAS, ensuring that the expanded EAS will become an important factor for the regional structure in which ASEAN plays a central role, making more practical and effective contributions to ensuring and fostering peace, security co-operation and development in the region.

The Vietnamese government leader suggested that ASEAN should continue strengthening solidarity, promoting internal strength and giving the highest priority and resources to the community building goal as well as regional priorities.

“ASEAN should expand partnerships and maintain its central role in shaping regional structure for peace, stability and co-operation in the region,” he said, adding this was the foundation for ASEAN to promote its role in the international arena.

Regarding sustainable development in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, PM Dung suggested further co-operation in coping with climate change and boosting sustainable development, especially in the reasonable and sustainable exploitation and use of water resources.

He said that the exploitation and use of the Mekong River, particularly building on the main stream, should firstly ensure residents’ interests and the sustainable development of all riverside countries, especially the lower areas.

“This requires not only close co-operation between five ASEAN countries and China, but also co-ordination in thorough scientific research on the impacts on the environment,” Dung stressed.

In his closing remark, President of host Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as Chair of ASEAN 2011, affirmed that the success of the summit helped bring ASEAN member countries closer together in issues of common concern, and at the same time further tightening the friendship and constructive cooperation among them in addressing intra-bloc issues in particular and issues of Asia and the world in general.

The Indonesian leader stressed the increasing position and role of ASEAN, especially its efforts in building a united and strong ASEAN community in 2015 with the people’s more active and effective participation in realising their common objectives of making Southeast Asia a more peaceful, harmonious and prosperous region.

He also affirmed the importance of the summit in seeking necessary measures to deal with emerging traditional and non-traditional challenges.

During his talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is also rotating chair of ASEAN, on the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Dung called on ASEAN to strengthen marine security on the East Sea and soon complete a legal agreement to ensure peace, stability and security in the region.

The Vietnamese leader spoke of Indonesia’s humanitarian treatment of Vietnamese fishermen who were arrested by Indonesian authorities.

Dung and the Indonesian President agreed to speed up bilateral negotiations on concrete measures to solve the problem.

They emphasised the measures needed to realise a memorandum of understanding on co-operation in fisheries and marine issues which was signed in October 2010, and spoke of an early conclusion to bilateral negotiations on the demarcation of an exclusive economic zone.

The two leaders agreed to push the implementation of the DOC and prepare DOC guidelines as well as a Code of Conduct.

Bilateral relations were the other major issue on the agenda, with a programme of action for 2011-14 at the helm.

Both men shared the view that the scheme was of primary importance to helping the two countries better implement a joint statement on friendly and comprehensive relations on entering the 21st century. They also emphasised the need to take stronger measures to boost trade, investment and other ties.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister also met with his Lao and Thai counterparts to discuss ways to boost bilateral ties and chatted about international and regional issues of mutual concern.

In his meeting with Lao Prime Minister Thoongsing Thammavong, the two leaders agreed on the significance of the 33rd session of the Vietnam-Laos Joint Government Committee concerning their bilateral relationship.

The two Government leaders reached consensus on expanding joint co-ordination in implementing the 2011-20 co-operation strategy and the co-operation agreements for 2011 and 2011-15.

Thoongsing informed Dung of Laos’s decision to temporarily suspend the Xayaburi hydropower project.

Dung thanked the Lao Party and Government for this important decision, saying that the decision reflected the co-operation and deep consideration of the Lao Party and Government to Viet Nam’s proposal.

The two leaders agreed to instruct relevant agencies to conduct joint research within the framework of the Mekong Commission with the possible participation of experienced and prestigious international scientists to seek firm scientific ground for future decisions regarding the issue.

Viet Nam wants to join Laos and other Mekong countries, including upstream countries China and Myanmar, in exploiting the river in a sustainable manner, said Dung.

During his meeting with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, both sides expressed pleasure with the development in their friendship and bilateral co-operation in all areas in recent years, agreeing to maintain and promote all existing mechanisms in bilateral ties to promote multi-sided co-operation, especially in economics, trade and investment.

They discussed co-operation in management and sustainable use of the Mekong River’s resources.

Dung said Viet Nam supports development and respects countries’ right to exploit the Mekong River’s potential for the sake of development.

Development needs harmony and should not negatively impact other countries’ development, said Dung.

The two PMs agreed that Mekong River Commission members should co-ordinate to study the impact hydro-power projects would have on the Mekong River and the people that depend on it before building more dams.

Regarding the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, Dung stressed as a neighbour of both countries and a fellow ASEAN member, Viet Nam welcomes the mutual cease-fire and continuation of implementing commitments made at the unofficial ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Jakarta on February 22, including the dispatch of Indonesian observers to the border area.

Viet Nam will continue to make positive contributions to the process, said Dung.

Prime Minister Dung also attend meetings between ASEAN leaders and representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Association (AIPA), ASEAN youth and civil society organisations.

PM highlights VN’s viewpoints on ASEAN Community roadmap

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung highlighted Vietnam’s views on the implementation of the roadmap to build ASEAN Community and Connectivity at the 18th ASEAN Summit’s plenary meeting in Jakarta Saturday.

In implementing the roadmap to build the ASEAN Community, he said, ASEAN needs to define priorities and specific goals for each year, appoint agencies in charge of each area and increase coordination among agencies in each pillar as well as all three pillars.

ASEAN also needs to explore different ways of attracting funding because mobilizing resources bears key significance for the success of the implementation of master plans and working plans, he added.

Regarding the ASEAN Political-Security Community, Dung stressed the need to promote ASEAN existing political-security mechanism, including the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the Declaration on the Conducts of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), as well as to continue to build more norms of conducts to strengthen the environment of peace, stability, cooperation in the region.

In the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) pillar, the PM said the bloc should speed up the progress for the establishment of the AEC by 2015 as scheduled.

He said he agreed with the AEC Council’s proposal on priorities to 2015 as well as priority on building a balanced economic region.

Along with implementing the AEC, ASEAN needs to chart following steps for the ASEAN economic connectivity after 2015, which allows the bloc to both integrate in a dynamic and flexible manner and look towards a stronger connectivity with measures at higher levels.

Regarding the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) pillar, PM Dung noted the need to define prioritised areas and a roadmap, speed up the building of a mechanism on evaluation and supervision system for the ASCC blue print, which is expected to be applied in early next year, and push up popularization to raise the public’s awareness on ASEAN and the progress to build the ASEAN Community.

The implementation of the master plan on ASEAN Connectivity needs to be given top priority and will be an important basis for building an ASEAN Community by 2015, PM Dung affirmed.

At the plenary meeting, ASEAN leaders noted the significant progress toward forming the ASEAN Community with its three pillars and acknowledged the challenges faced by ASEAN in its efforts to establish the ASEAN Community.

They agreed to increase the efforts by each individual member state and collective efforts to achieve the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015.

The leaders emphasised to promote the bloc’s existing mechanism and develop common standards of conducts for strengthening the peaceful environment, stability, cooperation in the region, solve disputes through peaceful solutions in accordance with the ASEAN Charter and international laws.

They agreed to increase cooperation in response to non-traditional security challenges, such as food and energy security, nuclear safety, security, maritime safety and climate change.

Later the day, PM Dung attend the meetings between ASEAN leaders and representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Association (AIPA), ASEAN Youth and civil society organizations.

Also the same day, the PM separately met with the Prime Ministers of Laos and Thailand to promote bilateral ties and discuss international and regional issues of common concern.

The 18th ASEAN Summit continues on May 8 with retreat meetings of leaders.

Leaders talk measures to boost ASEAN’s foreign ties

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung joined other ASEAN leaders to discuss an expanded East Asia Summit (EAS) and measures to strengthen ASEAN’s foreign relations and improve the bloc’s role in the international arena in a retreat meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on May 8.

Regarding the EAS, the ASEAN leaders reaffirmed the objectives, principles, mechanisms and priorities of the EAS recorded in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the EAS in 2005 and the Hanoi Declaration marking the 5 th founding anniversary of the EAS in 2010.

They applauded ASEAN foreign ministers’ recommendation on inviting Russian and US leaders to join the 6 th EAS later this year.

About ASEAN’s foreign relations, the leaders praised positive progresses in the relationship between ASEAN and its partners, especially specific results in the year Vietnam assumed the ASEAN Chair 2010.

They also agreed to step up efforts to deepen ASEAN’s relations with outside partners through cooperation frameworks and mechanisms such as ASEAN+1 (ASEAN with each dialogue partner), ASEAN+3 (ASEAN with China , Japan and the Republic of Korea ), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the EAS.

For the theme of the 18 th ASEAN Summit “ASEAN Community in a Global Community”, the leaders agreed that while giving the highest priority and resources to its goals of building community, expanding partnership and maintaining its central role in the shaping regional structure, ASEAN should actively consult and share information, and boost coordination, especially in issues of common benefits, to further promote its role and voice in the international arena.

Regarding the East Sea issue and the Declaration on Conducts of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC), the ASEAN leaders affirmed that peace, security and stability in the East Sea , including maritime security and safety, are common interests of all nations. Every dispute over sovereignty in the East Sea should be solved among concerned parties through peaceful solutions on the basis of abiding by international law, including the UN’s Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982. The good performance of the DOC will help decide the maintenance of peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea.

ASEAN supports the early completion of guiding principles for the implementation of the DOC and the building of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in 2012 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the DOC, they said.

The ASEAN leaders also stressed the importance of strengthening solidarity and coordination in parallel with fostering dialogues and cooperation with China to fully and effectively realise the DOC.

About the Thailand-Cambodia situation, the ASEAN leaders expressed wish that the two countries will address their conflicts peacefully in line with the spirit of ASEAN solidarity reflected in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), and the ASEAN Charter.

They spoke highly of the contributions made by Indonesia as ASEAN Chair to border dispute reconciliation between Thailand and Cambodia.

Also at the meeting, the ASEAN leaders agreed in principle Myanmar’s proposal on its assumption of ASEAN Chair in 2014.

Relating to Timor Leste’s proposal to join ASEAN, the leaders agreed that more time is needed for both ASEAN and Timor Leste to prepare for this affair.

ASEAN foreign ministers were entrusted to consider thoroughly all aspects before submitting this issue to the ASEAN leaders.

ASEAN pledged to further accelerate regional cooperation in coping with challenges, especially climate change, natural disaster management, food and energy security.

At the meetings during the 18 th ASEAN Summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stressed that the expansion of the EAS aims to maintain ASEAN’s central role in the expanded EAS in particular and in the shaping regional structure in general.

Dung stated that countries should take advantage of the expansion of the EAS to improve their roles and serve the best ASEAN’s interests as well as pay due attention to aspirations and interests of partners in the EAS, ensuring that the expanded EAS will become an important factor of the regional structure in which ASEAN plays a central role, making more practical and effective contributions to ensuring and fostering peace, security cooperation and development in the region.

The Vietnamese government leader suggested ASEAN continue strengthening solidarity, promoting internal strength and giving the highest priority and resources to the community building goal as well as regional priorities.

“ASEAN should expand partnership and maintain its central role in the shaping regional structure for peace, stability and cooperation in the region,” he said, adding this is a foundation and internal strength for ASEAN to promote its role in the international arena.

Regarding sustainable development in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), PM Dung suggested further cooperation in coping with climate change and boosting sustainable development, especially in the reasonable and sustainable exploitation and use of water resource.

He said that the exploitation and use of Mekong River water resource, particularly the building of works on the main stream of the Mekong River , should firstly ensure residents’ interests and the sustainable development of all riverside countries, especially the lower areas .

“This requires not only a close cooperation between five ASEAN countries and China , but also a coordination in thorough scientific research on impacts on the environment,” Dung stressed.

On the same day, PM Dung had separate meetings with the President of the host country, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino and Myanmar President Thein Sein.

Source: VNA