Vietnam border, seas, islands

Hanoi, March 18 (VNA) - Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Phuong Nam, led a delegation of the Ministry of National Defence to attend the 18th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces’ Meeting (ACDFM-18), held via videoconference on March 18 under the chair of Brunei.

Delegates exchanged opinions on the regional and international situation, especially traditional and non-traditional security challenges directly affecting ASEAN, assessed the outcomes of cooperation, and set forth orientations to boost substantial and effective cooperation between the armies of ASEAN countries.

Nam affirmed that, in 2021, Vietnam will maintain its support for and close cooperation with Brunei and other ASEAN member states to move on with results from 2020 and realise the goals set out for the ASEAN Year 2021.

The theme “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”, chosen by Brunei for its ASEAN Chairmanship 2021, reflects the shared aspiration of the ASEAN Community to heighten collective efforts to increase local living conditions.

Amid the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, security challenges have remained unstable, including sea-related security issues, he said, adding that Vietnam pledges to responsibly participate in cooperative activities between the armies of ASEAN countries, especially as co-chair of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) Experts’ Working Group on UN Peacekeeping Missions during 2021-2024, with Japan, and as chair of the ASEAN Peacekeeping Centres Network’s meeting.

He backed and appreciated ACDFM-18’s joint statement stressing ASEAN countries’ commitment to maintaining peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of aviation and navigation in the East Sea, building trust, fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon completing a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), in conformity with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Vietnamese officer expressed his belief that this meeting will put forward new initiatives to increase the quality of cooperation between the armies of ASEAN states, thus contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and the world.

Concluding the meeting, Brunei handed over the ACDFM Chairmanship to Cambodia which will work as Chair of ASEAN in 2022./.