Vietnam also supported the role of ASEANas well as effort of the ASEAN Chair in assisting both sides topeacefully solve disputes, Assistant to Vietnamese Foreign Minister PhamQuang Vinh said at an ASEAN unofficial meeting in Jakarta on Feb.22.
Vinh, who headed the Vietnamese delegation to the meeting,stressed the importance of peace, stability in the region, reaffirmingthe wish that both sides would exert maximum restraint, carry out theceasefire agreement and solve disputes by peaceful measures based onfundamental principles of international laws, the UN and ASEAN Chartersand the Treaty for of Amity and Cooperation (TAC).
The regionalunofficial meeting was convened to discuss regional and internationalissues of common concern, including recent border clashes betweenCambodia and Thailand .
At the meeting, the foreign ministersof Cambodia and Thailand reported the latest developments attheir border area, while the Indonesian FM stressed the efforts made byhis country as ASEAN Chair in increasing contacts and assistance forboth sides’ resettlement.
ASEAN FMs reminded their wish thatCambodia and Thailand would exert restraint and solve theirdisputes through peaceful measures based on the ASEAN Charter and TAC aswell as the spirit of ASEAN solidarity for the benefit of bothcountries’ people and peace, stability in the region and the ASEANCommunity.
The ministers also welcomed the two neighbours’commitments to peacefully solve disputes and agreements on ceasefire,avoidance of armed clashes and early resumption of border negotiationmechanisms reached by the two countries’ military representatives onFeb. 19.
They also agreed that ASEAN needs to proactivelyparticipate in and promote the role in helping the two member countriespeacefully solve disputes as well as supports the ASEAN Chair to furtherreconciliation efforts.
Based on the agreement of Cambodia andThailand and consensus of the ASEAN member countries, the ASEANChair issued a statement on the meeting’s outcomes, stressing the twoneighbours’ commitments to take peaceful measures to solve disputeswithout using forces as regulated in the TAC, the ASEAN and UN Charters.
Thestatement welcomes Cambodia’s and Thailand’s move to invite Indonesiain its capacity as ASEAN Chair to send observers to the disputed areasas well as the ASEAN Chair’s continued participation in helping bothsides conciliate, resume bilateral negotiations to solve the issuefriendly, the Indonesian Foreign Minister told reporters at the end ofthe meeting.
ASEAN countries spoke highly of the meeting’sresults, considering it a manifestation of the spirit of solidarity,traditional amity of the grouping. They expressed wish for the twocountries to continue to heighten the spirit of cooperation,construction and goodwill to implement their reached agreements./.