Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysian Foreign Minister HishamuddinHussein underscored the importance of regional cooperation to ensure that theEast Sea is a water of peace and stability during the virtual ASEAN-US ForeignMinisters’ Meeting on August 4.
Hishamuddin said regionalstability holds significance for countries, especially amid the COVID-19pandemic.
He asked countries to actively work togetherto deal with trans-border crimes, stressing that ASEAN and the US need to work onthe issue more effectively.
The event was within the framework of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-54) and related meetings, with foreignministers of ASEAN member states, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and ASEAN Secretary General Dato Lim Jock Hoi taking part.
The AMM-54’s joint communiqué said themeeting reaffirmed a need to strengthen mutual trust and refrain from actionsthat could complicate or escalate disputes, affecting peace and stability whileavoiding actions that could exacerbate the situation.
The meeting also continued to affirm a needto pursue the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with widely-recognisedinternational law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea./.