ASEAN foreign ministers gathered in a retreat in Jakarta on July 12. VNA/VNS Photo

JAKARTA – ASEAN foreign ministers gathered in a retreat in Jakarta on July 12 to discuss the international and regional situation, along with orientations for the mechanisms founded by the bloc.

The event formed part of the ongoing 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-56) and related meetings in the Indonesian capital.

In his remarks, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn shared the view on the urgency of promoting the role of ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) at present, asking the bloc to guarantee the mechanisms’ goals, principles, openness, and inclusiveness on the basis of a balanced and objective approach and meeting legitimate interests of all relevant parties.

He voiced support for ASEAN to strengthen relations with partners and encourage the participation of and contributions by partners in the region to help it build the Community and together respond to common challenges.

Partners also need to respect the centrality of ASEAN in terms of both words and actions while joining ASEAN in building up trust, narrowing differences, and promoting dialogue and sincere cooperation, he went on.

Sơn shared ASEAN’s principled stance on international and regional issues, expressed support for the bloc to help Myanmar seek solutions, affirmed the value of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), and highly valued efforts by the ASEAN Chair and the Special Envoy. He stressed that the solution to the Myanmar issue must be decided by the country.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the Vietnamese official emphasised the importance of ensuring a favourable environment for the negotiation on a code of conduct (COC) in the waters. He called on ASEAN to stay steadfast in its principled stance, uphold international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and together build the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) into a sea of peace and cooperation.

At the retreat, ministers shared their view on the uncertain and complicated situation filled with latent risks at present, especially the strategic competition among superpowers, transnational security issues, and complex developments in many hot spots. In that context, the most important thing for ASEAN is to sustain solidarity, actively consult to seek appropriate response modalities, and maintain a balanced and harmonious approach in external relations.

They underlined the importance of complying with the common principles, standards, and values stated in such documents as the ASEAN Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the 1982 UNCLOS, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

Participants also discussed directions for enhancing the bloc’s centrality in the regional architecture by improving the efficiency of ASEAN-led mechanisms so that they live up to their original goals and development potential.

They affirmed ASEAN’s wish to expand and intensify relations with partners, stressing that the participation of partners in the region must be based on respect for ASEAN’s centrality, win-win cooperation, and contributions to the building of an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture.

On international and regional issues of shared interest, ministers voiced concerns about the ongoing complex situation in Myanmar. They recommended ASEAN sustain solidarity, bring into play its centrality in helping the country, and guarantee its image and reputation.

The value of the 5PC and the ASEAN leaders’ 2022 decision on the 5PC implementation remains intact, and they are still the documents orienting the bloc’s efforts, officials said, expressing support for efforts by the ASEAN Chair and the Special Envoy to continue their constructive dialogue with Myanmar and persistently help the country seek feasible and durable solutions.

The ministers also agreed that ASEAN should actively increase humanitarian assistance for Myanmar, particularly via the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management.

At the event, they reaffirmed the bloc’s principled stance on the East Sea issue and pledged to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and to work towards a substantive and effective COC that matches international law, including UNCLOS.

The retreat also appealed to partners to respect ASEAN’s centrality and stance, especially on the issues related to regional peace, security, and stability.

Following the retreat, the ASEAN foreign ministers witnessed Saudi Arabia signing a document on its engagement in the TAC. The Middle Eastern country is the 51st party to this deal. VNS