Vietnam border, seas, islands

Jakarta, February 4 (VNA) - Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on February 4 emphasised the need for ASEAN to maintain a balanced and harmonious approach to its partners, promote the effectiveness and value of ASEAN-led mechanisms, and better the building of mutual trust and understanding for cooperation in response to emerging issues.

Addressing the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Jakarta, Indonesia, Son said that initiatives in the region should come from the goodwill of cooperation, complementarity and reciprocity to ASEAN-led mechanisms, thus contributing to the common goal of peace, security, stability and development.

Sharing common concerns about unpredictable regional and international fluctuations, the Vietnamese minister stressed that ASEAN needs to maintain solidarity, self-reliance and flexible adaptation, strengthen internal resources, and promote its centrality.

He reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, emphasising the necessity for the group to strengthen its principle stance, and uphold international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), towards a rules-based regional maritime order, and effectively protecting the legitimate interests of all coastal states.

On this occasion, Son announced Vietnam's plans to hold several meetings within the ASEAN-China framework on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as the Republic of Korea Day in ASEAN.

Regarding the Myanmar issue, he shared the view that Myanmar people should solve the Myanmar issue, and it is essential for ASEAN to effectively implement the five-point consensus to help the nation overcome difficulties.

He also expressed his belief that Indonesia, as the ASEAN Chair in 2023, and Redno Marsudi, as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, will be successful in leading the implementation of this consensus./.