Vietnam and Indonesia have agreed to further boost defence and securitycooperation during their defence ministers’ talks in Jakarta, Indonesia,on May 18.
Vietnamese Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh and his Indonesiancounterpart Purnomo Yusgiantoro agreed to soon implement the memorandumunderstanding on defence cooperation signed in October 2010.
GeneralThanh, who paid an official visit to Indonesia, where he also attendedthe fifth ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM-5), stressed that navalcooperation would lead the two countries’ defence cooperation andinvited Indonesian naval experts to visit Vietnam to discuss the launchof joint patrols and set up a liaison channel between the two navies.
He expressed his hope that naval forces of the two countries would sign an agreement on the field this year.
PurnomoYusgiantoro agreed with Thanh’s view points and affirmed thatIndonesia would set up a working group in charge and send the DeputyNaval Commander to work with the Vietnamese Navy on the issue.
Oncooperation at multilateral forums, General Thanh affirmed thatVietnam has always supported Indonesia as the ASEAN Chair, sayingIndonesia ’s successes are of the whole bloc, including Vietnam .
Onthe border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand , the two sidesshared the same view that it was unfortunate for the process of buildingthe ASEAN Political and Security Community affecting the bloc’sinternal connectivity and solidarity.
General Thanh said also a member of ASEAN, Vietnam has hailed the two countries’ ceasefire agreement.
Heexpressed his wish that no conflict recurrence would take place and thetwo countries would continue implementing the commitments reached atthe informal meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers in Jakarta on Feb.22, 2011.
Vietnam has supported ASEAN in playing its role inassisting Cambodia and Thailand to settle those disputes peacefullyand backed Indonesia in the role as the ASEAN Chair to proceedefforts and assistance on the basis of abiding by fundamentalprinciples of the ASEAN Charter, especially consultation and consensus,General Thanh said.
Vietnam wished that Indonesia , as theASEAN Chair, would soon send observers to help solve border disputesbetween Cambodia and Thailand and continue to contribute activelyto the process, Thanh added.
The Indonesian Minister saidIndonesia is willing to send observers to the disputed area whengaining an agreement from Cambodia and Thailand . He agreed thatASEAN problems must be solved on the grounds of ASEAN’s principles andon the basis of the ASEAN Charter.
Regarding the East Seaissue, General Thanh said that despite disputes over sovereignty incoastal areas and in the waters, all concerned countries share a commonaspiration of maintaining peace and stability for cooperation and mutualdevelopment.
He reiterated Vietnam ’s viewpoint, “Disputesmust be handled by peaceful measures and based on international laws,including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. ASEAN membercountries and China need to fully observe the Declaration on Conductsof Parties in the East Sea (DOC), which was signed by ASEAN and Chinain Cambodia in 2002. ASEAN and China should move to compile theCode of Conducts in the East Sea (COC).”
Minister PurnomoYusgiantoro stated that Indonesia wishes that the East Sea wouldbe stable with security and maritime freedom ensured.
He saidhis country included the issue on the draft joint declaration of ADMM-5and expected the concerned parties would have their COC in the future.
The same day, Vietnamese military officers paid a courtesy visit to the Indonesian Vice President./.