Heads of delegations to the meetings (Source: VNA) The Senior Officials Meeting of ASEAN Plus Three– China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) (SOM ASEAN+3), and the East AsiaSummit Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM EAS) between ASEAN and Australia, China,India, Japan, New Zealand, the RoK, Russia and the US were held within the frameworkof the ASEAN SOM and related meetings in the Philippines.
During these meetings, participants alsoprepared the agenda and documents of the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting slatedfor August in the Philippines.
At the SOM ASEAN+3, the countries affirmed therole play by ASEAN+3 as well as the mechanism’s contributions to regionalcooperation over the past two decades.
They agreed to organise a high-level meeting ofASEAN+3 in November.
They called on the countries to activelycontribute to the ASEAN+3 Finance Cooperation Fund in order to ensure adequateresources for cooperation.
They agreed to accelerate the realization ofrecommendations of the East Asia Vision Group and discussed specific measuresto enhance trade liberalisation, ease non-tax barriers, promote innovativeeconomy, create favourable conditions for small-and medium-sized groups, ensurefood security, develop sustainable development and strengthen connectivity aswell as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
At the SOME EAS, participants stressed the needto maintain and consolidate EAS, the leading dialogue forum of leaders onstrategic issues.
They consented to continue effectively carry outthe plan of action on the implementation of the Phnom Penh Declaration andfoster cooperation in prioritized areas, such as energy, education, finance,connectivity, health care, disease combat, environmental protection and naturaldisaster mitigation.
Proposals for cooperation in matters of sharedconcern like poverty reduction, disease fighting, anti-terrorism and extremism,non-proliferation of weapons, maritime security and cooperation were put ontable.
During the meetings, the countries laudedachievements ASEAN has recorded over the past half a century and affirmed theirsupport for the building of the ASEAN Community, intra-bloc solidarity as wellas its central role to peace, security and cooperation in the region.
ASEAN and its partner countries also debatedregional and international maters of shared concern in a frank and candidmanner, including issues on the Korean peninsula and in the East Sea.
They underscored the importance of easingtensions, conducting dialogues and handling nuclear issues on the Koreanpeninsula peacefully in line with international law and related resolutionsadopted by the UN Security Council.
Many countries expressed their concern over theEast Sea issue, land reclamation and militarisation in the sea.
Given this, they underlined the need to addressthe disputes through peaceful measures and on the basis of respectinginternational law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of theSea (1982 UNCLOS).
They applauded efforts made by ASEAN and Chinain seriously and fully realising the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties inthe East Sea (DOC) as well as new progress in building the framework of a Codeof Conduct in the East Sea (COC), thus opening up the formation of a practical,effectively and legally binding COC.
The Vietnamese delegation to these meetings wasled by Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, head of Vietnam SOM ASEAN.
The ASEAN Regional Forum SOM is scheduled totake place on May 24 to look into security cooperation in the region andprepare for the 24th ARF Foreign Ministers Meeting in August.-VNA
VNA
