Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh led the Vietnamese delegation tothe fourth ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF-4) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysiafrom October 1-2.
Addressing the opening ceremony,Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamzah Zainuddin said ASEAN needs tostrengthen maritime cooperation for regional prosperity and stability.
It is urgent to seek measures for maritime security-related issues astrade activities between South and Southeast Asian economies greatlydepend on sea routes on the Malacca Strait and the East Sea ,he said.
The Malaysian Deputy FM called for ASEANmembers’ cooperation to prevent and manage any possible crisis which maycause losses for the regional economy.
He alsostressed the importance of maritime security and freedom, lawenforcement, constructive dialogues and the peaceful resolution ofsovereignty disputes in the East Sea in accordance withinternational law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS).
Delegates at the forum, including ASEANsenior officials and maritime experts, discussed measures to buildtrust, ensure an environment of peace, stability and maritime securityand safety in the region as well as how to cooperate at sea moreeffectively.
On the sidelines of the forum, Deputy FMPham Quang Vinh told reporters that Vietnam participates in theevent with the aim of promoting marine cooperation as well ascontributing to regional peace and stability.
At theforum, Vietnam and other ASEAN members as well as other countriesstressed the importance of abiding by international law, especially theUNCLOS and measures to maintain an environment of peace, stability andmaritime security and safety in the region, considering them essentialconditions for further enhancing cooperation at sea, he said.
Following the AMF-4, the second Expanded AMF with the attendance ofeight dialogue partners, namely the US, Japan, China, Russia, India, theRepublic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand, will be held in KualaLumpur on October 3.-VNA