Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoàng Xuân Chiến (left) attends the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting held online on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoàng Xuân Chiến attended the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting which was held via videoconference yesterday.

The two-day meeting is being chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Bruneian Ministry of Defence Brigadier General Dato Seri Pahlawan Shahril Anwar bin Haji Ma’awiah.

During the meeting, participants will hear reports on the recent co-operation of ASEAN, the results of the recent ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Working Group (ADSOM WG) meeting and the 18th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces’ Meeting (ACDFM-18).

Participants will also review documents submitted by the ADSOM WG, including drafts of the joint declaration of the 15th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-15) and the eighth ADMM Plus and discuss preparation works for the upcoming ADSOM Plus, the ADMM-15 and the eight ADMM Plus.

They will also discuss proposals of partner countries, including the organisation of unofficial meetings of Defence Ministers of ASEAN+1 and a navy drill between the ASEAN and Russia.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political Security Community Robert Matheus Michael Tene said he highly appreciated Việt Nam's work as ASEAN Chair 2020 for leading ASEAN to overcome a year full of challenges.

He called on ASEAN countries to strengthen defence ties to contribute to peace and security in the region and the world.

ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue

Nguyễn Quốc Dũng, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of Việt Nam’s ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), attended the 28th ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue held virtually on Tuesday.

In his remarks, Dũng emphasised the significance of maritime co-operation to security and economic development in each country, as well as the daily lives of regional residents.

He suggested ASEAN and New Zealand step up their ties within the frameworks of the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF).

The move aims to promote dialogue, cooperation, trust-building, and respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), he said.

Dũng also called for support towards efforts to build and promote codes of conduct such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The countries also need to enhance dialogue, collaboration, trust-building and law respect, and ensure an environment of peace, security and stability, to facilitate recovery and sustainable growth, Dũng stressed.

Alison Mann, head of New Zealand’s ASEAN SOM, said New Zealand attaches importance to the relations with the 10-member grouping and commits to working as ASEAN’s active partner in frameworks, dialogues and co-operation mechanisms led by ASEAN in the region.

The two sides agreed to co-ordinate in pushing ahead with the implementation of the Joint ASEAN-New Zealand Leaders’ Vision Statement approved last November to deepen their partnership.

With the 2021-2025 action plan, the two sides will boost ties in such priority areas as economy, trade, investment, the fight against terrorism and transnational crime, education, environmental protection, climate change, natural disaster management, sub-regional development, and narrowing development gaps.

The countries agreed to continue their close co-ordination to contribute to maintaining regional peace, security and stability, including security and safety in the East Sea. — VNS