Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn and other ASEAN foreign ministers at the high-level meeting in Vientiane on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Tú

VIENTIANE — Solidarity and centrality are the key to success of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn on Tuesday.

Sơn made the remark while attending the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Council Meeting, and the ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting in Vientiane, Laos.

At the events, foreign ministers of the regional countries agreed on the agenda and activities of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related summits.

Many important issues will be considered at the summits, including measures to promote connectivity and resilience in the region in line with this year’s theme – “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”, consolidating the ASEAN Community building process towards more extensive connectivity and a future of higher-level development, and intensifying effective, practical and mutually-beneficial relations with partners. The international and regional situation will also be put under discussion.

Addressing Tuesday’s meetings, Sơn spoke highly of the leadership role of Laos – Chair of ASEAN in 2024, which has steered the bloc through challenges to sustain the Community building process, maintain high economic growth, reinforce solidarity and solidarity and promote strategic self-reliance, thereby creating a solid stepping stone for the next period.

He expressed his gratitude to the regional countries for their sympathy and assistance for the nations affected by Typhoon Yagi, including Việt Nam, which he described as a demonstration of the precious solidarity and mutual support amid trying times.

The Vietnamese official laid special stress on the urgent need for efforts in responding to climate change and improving climate resilience as extreme weather conditions become increasingly complicated.

Applauding the implementation progress on the ASEAN Community’s pillars, Sơn asked for comprehensively reviewing the Blueprints 2025 and thoroughly assessing their effects to gain experiences and better implementation efficiency and quality in the time ahead.

The official also voiced support for Timor-Leste to soon become an official member of ASEAN and suggested building a detailed roadmap for Timor-Leste’s participation in the bloc’s legal documents and simplifying procedures for this country’s engagement.

Viewing solidarity and centrality as the key to the success of ASEAN, he proposed the association bring into play its common voice more strongly, and maintain a harmonious and balanced approach to external relations as well as the issues affecting regional peace and security.

In the face of complicated developments in Myanmar, Sơn shared the common concern over the instability there, along with the impacts of an increase in transnational crimes that have influenced the region’s general stability.

He emphasised that the related parties in Myanmar need to put an end to violence and strive to hold dialogue for the first and foremost interests of the Myanmar people.

ASEAN should ensure the continuity and effectiveness in the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, promote its centrality in helping Myanmar seek a feasible and durable solution, boost humanitarian aid for the Myanmar people, and optimise the mechanisms and initiatives supplementing ASEAN’s common efforts, he added.

Sharing the viewpoint on the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue, Sơn re-affirmed the necessity to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon reach a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea that is practical, effective, and in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related summits are scheduled to kick off at the National Convention Centre of Laos on Wednesday.

On the same day, leaders of ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste will attend plenary sessions, retreat meetings, and dialogues with representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), and the ASEAN youth. — VNA/VNS