Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Luong Minh has called on member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to enhance solidarity on the basis of Bandung principles, fundamental regulations of the United Nations Charter and international law.

Deputy FM Minh made the appeal at the NAM Ministerial Meeting which took place in Egypt on May 7-10.

He also urged NAM member to make efforts to address disputes between sides peacefully in the spirit of respecting each side’s independence, national sovereignty and peaceful co-existence.

This is the foundation to enhance NAM ’s role and voice in dealing with international issues such as disarmament, terrorism, climate change and epidemics as well as the implementation of UN Millennium Development Goals, Minh said.

The world situation is developing in a complicated manner and is posing major challenges for NAM member countries in various fields such as security, politics, economics and international relations, Minh noted.

Meanwhile, armed violence is still occurring in many member countries, partially due to outside intervention and imposition, Minh said, adding that developing countries are struggling with the impacts of globalisation, unequal financial systems and international commerce, climate change and issues regarding food security and energy.

Regarding regional issues, Deputy FM Minh affirmed Vietnam ’s support to the Palestinian people’s just struggles to build a sovereign state, sharing difficulties faced by the Cuban government and people due to the US embargo.

Minh said he hopes that with NAM support under Bandung principles, the Syrian government and people will surmount their current difficulties, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

As an active and responsible member of NAM, ASEAN and the international community, Vietnam pledges to promote the basic principles of the UN Charter and international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 1992 ASEAN Declaration on the East Sea, in order to seek peaceful solutions to sovereignty and territorial disputes in the East Sea, said the Vietnamese diplomat.

Deputy FM Minh hailed ASEAN and China ’s adoption of the guidelines for the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) last July. He stressed that ASEAN and China’s efforts to implement the DOC is an important step toward building the Code of Conduct in the East Sea, thus creating a favourable environment for maintaining regional peace and stability.

Together with other ASEAN members, Vietnam welcomes positive contributions of bilateral and multilateral consultation mechanisms among concerned parties at the inter-governmental level, including the ASEAN-China dialogue, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) as well as unofficial seminars on the management of crises in the East Sea .

On the sidelines of the conference, Deputy FM Minh had meetings with the FMs of Serbia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , Kazkhastan , Afghanistan , Ghana , Nigeria and Deputy FMs of Ecuador , Tanzania as well as heads of delegations and ambassadors of China and Peru to promote bilateral ties and exchange views on issues of common concern.

The NAM Ministerial Meeting gathered over 130 delegations from NAM member countries, observers and representatives from international organisations.

This is seen as an important meeting in preparation for the 16 th NAM Summit to be held in Iran in August.

Delegates at the event deliberated matters of concern, such as how to maintain peace, address conflicts, develop in a sustainable manner, reduce poverty, reform and improve the role of multilateral institutions, including the UN.

The two-day meeting adopted many important documents, including the final document of the conference, the Declaration on Palestine Political Prisoners seized by Israel and the Declaration on the celebration of the 100 th anniversary of the African National Congress in South Africa.-VNA