ASEAN 2020: 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held online
Hanoi (VNA) – The 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-53) took
place online in Hanoi on September 9.
This is the first of the
series of the annual AMM and between ASEAN and partners, one of the key events
in the ASEAN Year 2020.
During the event, ASEAN
foreign ministers said ASEAN has been continuously and actively strengthening
cooperation, maintaining the community building momentum as well as effectively
responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid developments and increasing
uncertainty in the world situation, including the ravaging pandemic, the risk
of economic recession and increased competition among major countries, ASEAN
has reaffirmed its strong commitment to maintaining the region of peace,
stability, security and neutrality, in which international law is highly
respected.
They agreed to continue
efforts to implement the initiatives and priorities for the year, promote cooperation in response to the pandemic, and prepare a
comprehensive post-pandemic recovery plan.
The FMs adopted the five-year
Work Plan (2021-2025) of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights
(AICHR) and the AICHR Priority Programme in 2021.
Regarding external
relations, they recommended conducting the ASEAN - Australia Summit annually,
granting the development partnership status to Italy and France, while
continuing to consider proposals on becoming ASEAN's full dialogue partners of countries.
They also approved measures to improve the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) working
methods.
Discussing regional and
international issues of common concern, the FMs reaffirmed the importance of
maintaining and promoting peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of
navigation in the East Sea.
They agreed that ASEAN should
persistently hold onto its principled position, emphasising self-restraints,
peaceful settlement of all disputes on the basis of international law,
including the 1982 UNCLOS.
Participants also reiterated
the importance of fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct
of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), striving to build an effective, substantive Code of
Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law and
the 1982 UNCLOS.
They agreed that
ASEAN needs to continue its efforts to jointly deal with non-traditional
security challenges such as terrorism, transnational crime, maritime security
and safety, climate change, and epidemics.
ASEAN countries welcomed Vietnam, as the Chair of ASEAN 2020, for proactively
putting forth initiatives, maintaining and promoting the coordination in COVID-19
prevention and control as well as building the ASEAN Community and
strengthening the bloc’s centrality.
For his part, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh
Minh suggested ASEAN exert more efforts and strengthen cooperation to overcome difficulties
and challenges, maintain the community building, and fully implement priorities
and initiatives.
The official asked ASEAN to conduct an overall
assessment of foreign relations, build and amend the criteria
to consider the admission of a new dialogue partner.
Amid regional and global changes and instability, Minh suggested ASEAN strengthen solidarity
and cooperation in views and actions on the basis of agreed principles,
including those specified in the Declaration on the Importance of Maintaining
Peace and Stability in Southeast Asia on August 8, 2020.
He expressed his concern over complicated developments
and serious incidents in the East Sea which run contrary to international law and the 1982 UNCLOS, violate legitimate rights and interests of littoral nations, worsen tensions and cause harms
to peace and security in the East Sea.
Minh called on ASEAN to maintain solidarity and principled
stance, stressing the bloc needs to continue promoting compliance with
international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS.
Later the same day, he chaired a series of related meetings via video, including the Meeting of the
Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission, the 27th ASEAN
Coordinating Council (ACC) Conference, and the Special Session of the ASEAN
Coordinating Council Meeting on Sub-regional Development./.