Vietnam calls for stronger int’l links to tackle global security challenges

April 29, 2016 - 09:00

Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich stressed the need to boost links among countries worldwide and promote the role of security mechanisms within the Asia Pacific region to deal with security challenges.

Viet Nam News Moscow – Defence Minister Ngô Xuân Lịch stressed the need to boost links among countries worldwide and promote the role of security mechanisms within the Asia Pacific region to deal with security challenges.

In his keynote speech at the second session of the 5th Moscow Conference on International Security on Wednesday, the Vietnamese official said the Asia Pacific region faces increasing security risks such as the threat of conflicts, nuclear weapon dissemination, territorial disputes, and violations of international law, along with global non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, cyber attacks and migration.

These are threatening the peace and stability in the region and the world, he said.

Enhanced cooperation among regional countries is needed to cope with the problems, Lịch said, adding that ASEAN should take a central role in the issue.

He asserted Việt Nam’s principle of ensuring national interests in line with international law and on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, stating that the country is pursuing a consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, international integration, and being a reliable partner of all countries as well as a responsible member in the international community.

Lich said he hopes Russia will further bolster bilateral and multilateral relations with countries in the Asia Pacific region, thus facilitating cooperation particularly in trade and economics.

He called for Russian’s greater responsibility in the region on the basis of international law, through participating more in regional security mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defence Ministerial Meeting Plus (ADMM+), where ASEAN plays a central role; as well as the Shangri La Dialogue.—VNS

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