Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 25 th ASEAN-US dialogue in Manila, the Philippines, on May 21-22.

This is the annual meeting at deputy foreign ministerial level within the framework of the ASEAN-US dialogue relations.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh emphasised ASEAN efforts in building the community, strengthening regional connectivity and cooperation for common goals of peace, stability and development.

He also spoke highly of the results of the third ASEAN-US Summit last November – the approval of an action plan on the implementation of the joint declaration on ASEAN-US enhanced partnership for peace and prosperity in the 2011-2015 period – creating a new and deeper cooperative framework between the two sides in matters of common interest.

He also shared ASEAN viewpoints on the importance of peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea, dealing with disputes by peaceful solutions with respect to international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) as well as the group’s efforts to fulfil the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC).

On a future orientation, Vinh asked the two sides to give priority to strengthening cooperation in the fields of the economy, trade, investment, science and technology and education and collaborate closely at regional forums, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) to enhance the ASEAN-US partnership and achieve regional peace, stability, cooperation and development.

Participants at the meeting spoke highly of the results of ASEAN-US relations and cooperation through the regional cooperative framework, the implementation of decisions made at the third ASEAN-US Summit, joint projects in the ASEAN-US Action Plan for the 2011-2015 period, as well as the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.

ASEAN and the US are each other’s fourth-largest trading partners, with two-way trade exceeding 186 billion USD.

The US is also the third-largest investor in ASEAN, with a total investment capital of 8.5 billion USD in 2010.

The US continued to affirm its policy of attachment to the Asia-Pacific region through bilateral and multilateral frameworks, such as ASEAN-US, ARF, EAS, ADMM+ and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

The US also heightened ASEAN’s central role in the region, affirming that it attaches importance to relations and cooperation with ASEAN in all fields and backs the group’s plan to build an ASEAN Community by 2015.

At the dialogue, participants exchanged views on regional and world issues of common concern.

They also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation for regional peace, security and stability, ensuring maritime security and freedom, dealing with disputes through peaceful solutions and on the basis of international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Both ASEAN and the US voiced their support to ASEAN and China to effectively implement the DOC and soon approve the COC for peace, stability and security in the region as well as ensuring freedom in maritime transport, natural resource exploitation and economic development according to international law./.