Vice President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh attends the fifth Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on Saturday.— VNA/VNS Photo

DUSHANBE — Việt Nam treasures peace, co-operation and development, Vice President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh said as she addressed the fifth Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on Saturday.

Its policy is to promote international integration, contribute to the work of the international community and work to shape regional and global multilateral institutions based on the principles of equality, transparency and respect for the law, according to the Vietnamese vice president.

Việt Nam works hard to maintain a peaceful and stable environment in the region, ensure aviation and maritime freedom and settle disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, including the UN Charter and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. It also strives to implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and push forward negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

The vice president said "Asia has the potential to become a driving force for the world economy, but is also a region with great risk of conflict that could have serious consequences for the region and the world. It faces challenges such as slowing growth, environmental problems and trans-national crime". 

She said the CICA should promote its role as a forum for building trust in Asia and upholding the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter. It should promote respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and the use of peaceful measures to settle disputes.

The CICA should help member countries cope with challenges by fostering economic co-operation and development, expanding cultural and social exchange and strengthening connections among countries and peoples.

The vice president thanked the other countries for electing Việt Nam as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-21 tenure.

She said Việt Nam, as the ASEAN Chair in 2020, would contribute to the CICA while strengthening collaboration within the organisation as well as between CICA and partner organisations, including the UN and ASEAN.

The fifth CICA took place in the context of rapid changes in Asia and the world. Conflicts remain unsettles, while terrorism and trans-national crimes continue to pose a threat to peace, security and development.

State leaders at the conference – including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani – agreed CICA member countries should promote co-operation on the basis of mutual trust and respect for international law and the UN Charter. They said it should seek solutions to traditional and non-traditional security challenges and increase integration towards the goal of trust and understanding across the region.

The conference adopted the Dushanbe Declaration, pledging to work to turn CICA into a major multilateral mechanism to promote dialogue and co-operation in Asia through fair trade, opening markets, cultural exchange, connectivity, tourism and the development of clean energy.

Vice President Thinh also had a meeting with the host nation’s president, Emomali Rahmon. She also met the Chinese president, the king of Qatar, the prime minister of Azerbaijan and the foreign minister of India to discuss bilateral relations and co-ordination at multilateral forums. —VNS