HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc yesterday hosted a reception for ambassadors of ASEAN member countries, expressing his belief that the diplomats will contribute more to enhancing the friendship and all-round collaboration between their countries and Việt Nam.

The leader noted with joy Việt Nam’s establishment of close co-operation frameworks with other ASEAN nations, including the special co-operation with Laos, the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive co-operation with Cambodia, the strategic partnership with the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, and the friendship and multi-faceted co-operation with Brunei and Myanmar.

The PM called on all ASEAN member countries to join hands with each other to build an ASEAN of unity and solidarity, especially in the context of changes in the regional strategic climate and the growing strategic competition between powers.

Việt Nam would team up with its ASEAN peers in maintaining the group’s key role, strengthening its solidarity and unity in handling regional strategic issues and other matters relating to the bloc’s relations with partners, as well as in defining the regional structure on the basis of forums led by ASEAN, he promised.

Mentioning the complicated developments in the East Sea, PM Phúc appealed to the countries to step up their co-ordination to promote ASEAN’s central role, maintain intra-bloc solidarity and common stance on the East Sea issue.

He stressed that ASEAN countries should push for the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the full and effective compliance of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards quickly reaching a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in order to maintain peace, stability, security, safety and co-operation in the region.

Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities would closely co-ordinate with the ambassadors to help them fulfil their assigned tasks and make more contributions to the cooperation between Việt Nam and other ASEAN countries, the Government leader affirmed.

On behalf of the diplomats, Lao Ambassador Thongsavanh Phomvihane pledged to do their utmost to foster co-operation between their countries and Việt Nam, and contribute to the friendship and solidarity within ASEAN, for regional prosperity and development.

The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Việt Nam. — VNS