The Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, attends the two meetings (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The 17th ASEAN Political-SecurityCommunity Council (APSC) Meeting and the 21th ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC)Meeting took place in Singapore on April 27 on the threshold of the 32nd ASEANSummit.
At the APSC meeting, ASEAN ministers were delighted at thefact that 82 percent of the workload in the APSC plan in realisation of the ASEANCommunity Vision 2025 has been undertaken.
They agreed to increase all-round cooperation in the fightagainst terrorism, trans-border crime and drug trafficking, ensuring maritimeand cyber security, nuclear security and safety, and disaster relief.
They highlighted the necessity of monitoring and assessmentin boosting intra-bloc cooperation and noted ASEAN needs to improve its centralrole in pushing for dialogue, cooperation and trust building in the region.They said they support efforts made by the bloc and China in negotiating aneffective and legally-binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
At the ACC meeting, the ministers reviewed all preparationwork for the 32nd ASEAN Summit.
They underscored the need to increase inter-sector andinter-pillar coordination in ASEAN, which includes improving capacity of theASEAN Secretariat and coordinating function of the ASEAN Joint ConsultativeMeeting.
Participating ASEAN members said it is necessary to boostconnectivity and narrow development gaps in ASEAN via the implementation of theMaster Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and Work Plan III of the Initiative forASEAN Integration.
The ACC voted Kung Phoak, a Cambodian national, to be VicePresident of the ASEAN Secretariat overseeing the ASEAN Socio-CulturalCommunity.
Speaking at the two functions, Vietnamese Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh underscored the designing ofcooperation mechanisms to build trust and the fortification of solidarity,self-resilience and central role of ASEAN based on international law and thebloc’s basic regulations in a bid to build a peaceful, safe, and rules-basedcommunity.
He also talked about communications activities to raisepublic awareness of the ASEAN community, which Vietnam is undertaking via anational plan for 2017 – 2020.
Minh said available resources of the ASEAN Secretariatshould be utilized, while its role be promoted.
The official praised Singapore’s initiative of building theASEAN network of smart cities toward an innovative and people-centred ASEANcommunity.-VNA
VNA
