The 46th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-46) was convened in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei, on June 30.
A Vietnamese delegation to the event was led by Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
Addressing the event, Brunei Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, stressed that the event aims to review progress made on the initiatives agreed by ASEAN leaders at the ASEAN summit held in Bandar Seri Begawan in April 2013.
He expressed his hope that ASEAN foreign ministers will "retain with the idea of ASEAN centrality" and continue seeking ways to strengthen peace and stability in the region.
Major topics of discussion included the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015, which will increasingly link the economies, politics and social responsibilities of the bloc’s members.
The prospective formation of an official community will also enhance ASEAN’s central role in evolving regional structures and settling important issues, while also boosting the bloc’s external relations.
At the meeting, participants debated how to improve regional connectivity to drive links with East Asia and ensure a peaceful and stable environment, while coping with traditional and non-traditional security challenges like climate change, natural disasters and epidemics.
They also discussed how to make best use of the region’s numerous political and security forums, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
Finally, they assessed the progress made on measures stated in agreements including the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
During their reflections on the DOC, the foreign ministers touched upon the importance of peace, maritime security, safety and freedom in the East Sea and called for the respect of international laws, namely the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles. They also urged the prompt formulation of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Earlier, the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and the Meeting of the Executive Committee of the SEANWFZ Commission (SEANWFZ Ex-Com) took place in the same city from June 27-29.
Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh led a Vietnamese delegation to these functions.
The event was held in preparation for the number of important meetings which will take place from June 30-July 2 in the Brunei capital. These will include the AMM-46, the ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Post Ministerial Conference (PMC), the third East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the 20 th ASEAN Regional Forum.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-VNA
A Vietnamese delegation to the event was led by Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
Addressing the event, Brunei Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, stressed that the event aims to review progress made on the initiatives agreed by ASEAN leaders at the ASEAN summit held in Bandar Seri Begawan in April 2013.
He expressed his hope that ASEAN foreign ministers will "retain with the idea of ASEAN centrality" and continue seeking ways to strengthen peace and stability in the region.
Major topics of discussion included the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015, which will increasingly link the economies, politics and social responsibilities of the bloc’s members.
The prospective formation of an official community will also enhance ASEAN’s central role in evolving regional structures and settling important issues, while also boosting the bloc’s external relations.
At the meeting, participants debated how to improve regional connectivity to drive links with East Asia and ensure a peaceful and stable environment, while coping with traditional and non-traditional security challenges like climate change, natural disasters and epidemics.
They also discussed how to make best use of the region’s numerous political and security forums, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
Finally, they assessed the progress made on measures stated in agreements including the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
During their reflections on the DOC, the foreign ministers touched upon the importance of peace, maritime security, safety and freedom in the East Sea and called for the respect of international laws, namely the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles. They also urged the prompt formulation of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Earlier, the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and the Meeting of the Executive Committee of the SEANWFZ Commission (SEANWFZ Ex-Com) took place in the same city from June 27-29.
Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh led a Vietnamese delegation to these functions.
The event was held in preparation for the number of important meetings which will take place from June 30-July 2 in the Brunei capital. These will include the AMM-46, the ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Post Ministerial Conference (PMC), the third East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the 20 th ASEAN Regional Forum.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-VNA
