Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Võ Văn Thưởng at the event. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – A Vietnamese delegation led by Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Võ Văn Thưởng took part in a round-table conference for Russia – ASEAN political parties on June 29 via a videoconference.

Initiated by the United Russia Party, the event took the theme “The Role of Russia and ASEAN’s Responsible Political Forces in Strengthening the Architecture of Security and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific”.

Speaking at the event, Thưởng said the Asia-Pacific lies in a location of geographically strategic importance. Though peace, cooperation and development remain a major trend, the region is facing traditional and non-traditional security challenges.

To cope, countries need to enhance collaboration on the basis of placing peace, stability and development in the region as the highest principle and goal, settling differences by peaceful means, preventing conflicts and ensuring that each country’s interests must be suitable with the common interests of the community, he said.

He highlighted a need to foster understanding and build trust via dialogue and consultation. On issues of concern in the region and the world such as the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea), he called for upholding the principles of abiding by international law and the United Nations Charter, strengthening trust and exercising self-restraint, preventing actions that could complicate the situation, refraining from the use of force and threat to use force, and settling disputes by peaceful means.

The shaping and building of regional architectures need the involvement and joint actions of parties concerned, including upholding ASEAN’s central role, especially via mechanisms initiated and led by ASEAN, he said.

Thưởng shared Việt Nam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, multilateralisation and diversification of international relations; treasuring traditional friendship with neighbour countries, strategic, comprehensive and other important partners; actively and proactively make responsible contributions at multilateral mechanisms; contributing to stepping up the process of dialogue, cooperation and building trust initiated and led by ASEAN.

The Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) highly values ties with the United Russia Party, he stated.

Leaders of parties underscored a need to reinforce Asia-Pacific security architecture and cooperation based on principles of abiding by international law, respecting each other, not interfering into internal affairs and settling disputes by peaceful means.

They expressed appreciation for Russia – ASEAN ties, and vowed to enhance coordination in environmental protection, sustainable development, dealing with non-traditional security challenges, ensuring fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

They also underlined a need to foster international inter-party collaboration to further deepen political and socio-economic ties between Russia and ASEAN, and supported common efforts to overcome global challenges and deal with regional issues. — VNS