Heads of ASEAN and Russian delegations at the event. VNA/VNS Photo

SAINT PETERSBURG Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt, who is also head of the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) delegation of Việt Nam, attended the 20th ASEAN-Russia SOM in St. Petersburg, Russia, on April 26.

Delegates reviewed the current state of cooperation and proposed directions and measures to further develop the ASEAN-Russia relationship in the future. Their discussions also covered pressing global and regional issues.

In his speech, Việt highlighted narrowing the development gap, sub-regional connectivity and development as priorities of ASEAN in its overall effort to build the Community.

He expected that Russia, with its potential and strengths, will pay more attention and contribute more effectively to these regional priority efforts in the future, as well as propose directions and solutions to promoting the bilateral cooperation, including the effective implementation of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) and the Master Plan on ASEAN Community (MPAC) 2025; help less developed countries and regions tackle common challenges such as combating transnational crime, enhancing health capacity; ensuring food, energy, water security; and effectively embracing new growth drivers, especially digital transformation, green and circular economy.

Việt suggested Russia support sub-regional development efforts in ASEAN, including the Mekong sub-region, contributing positively to the inclusive, even and sustainable growth of ASEAN and the region.

The official hoped that relationship among major countries, which are important partners of ASEAN, would be stable and healthy, positively contributing to regional cooperation on the basis of respecting and supporting ASEAN's central role.

He called on Russia to support ASEAN's common stance on the East Sea issue and efforts to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), soon reach an effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of ASEAN SOM of Russia Andrey Rudenko said in order to mark the 20th anniversary of Russia's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), Russia will propose holding a number of activities to mark the occasion, reaffirming its commitment to peace, stability and cooperation in the region. VNS