Heads of ASEAN and Russian delegations at the event. (Photo: VNA) SaintPetersburg (VNA) - Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet,who is also head of the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam,attended the 20th ASEAN-Russia SOM in St. Petersburg, Russia, onApril 26.
Delegatesreviewed the current state of cooperation and proposed directions and measures to further develop theASEAN-Russia relationship in the future. Their discussions also coveredpressing global and regional issues.
In hisspeech, Viet highlighted narrowing the development gap, sub-regional connectivityand development as priorities of ASEAN in its overall effort to build the Community.
Heexpected that Russia, with its potential and strengths, will pay more attentionand contribute more effectively to these regional priority efforts in thefuture, as well as propose directions and solutions to promoting the bilateralcooperation, including the effective implementation of the Initiative for ASEANIntegration (IAI) and the Master Plan on ASEAN Community (MPAC) 2025; help less developed countries andregions tackle common challenges such as combating transnational crime,enhancing health capacity; ensuring food, energy, water security; and effectivelyembracing new growth drivers, especially digital transformation, green andcircular economy.
Viet suggestedRussia support sub-regional development efforts in ASEAN, including the Mekongsub-region, contributing positively to the inclusive, even and sustainablegrowth of ASEAN and the region.
Theofficial hoped that relationship among major countries, which are importantpartners of ASEAN, would be stable and healthy, positively contributing toregional cooperation on the basis of respecting and supporting ASEAN's centralrole.
Hecalled on Russia to support ASEAN's common stance on the East Sea issue andefforts to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct ofParties in the East Sea (DOC), soon reach an effective and practical Code ofConduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law,including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Deputy Minister ofForeign Affairs and head of ASEAN SOM of Russia AndreyRudenko said in order to mark the 20th anniversary of Russia's accession to theTreaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), Russia will propose holdinga number of activities to mark the occasion, reaffirming its commitment topeace, stability and cooperation in the region./.
