Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh

Prior to the summit, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh said Vietnam highly regards the cooperation within ASEAN and wants ASEAN’s relations with its partners to continue to grow. "This is Vietnam’s strategic priority so we have to get involved in ASEAN’s common activities in an active and responsible manner. Vietnam supports ASEAN’s goals of building a united community and promoting the bloc’s role in connecting and inspiring its partners to build a peaceful, stable, cooperative, and developed region."

Beside the goal of building an ASEAN community, the bloc pays special attention to enhancing unity and handling issues relating to regional peace, security, stability, and development. Mr. Vinh said a peaceful, stable, cooperative, and developed environment is of great importance for every ASEAN member country. In order to achieve this goal, the bloc should be active and united. Vinh said: "Firstly, ASEAN should base its actions on achieved results and continue to promote them, particularly in proposing agendas and prioritized areas of the entire region’s interest. Secondly, ASEAN has to work with partners to build a regional code of conduct and a mechanism to ensure the implementation of the agreements and code of conduct, aiming to strengthen and promote a peaceful, stable, and cooperative environment."

An important issue at this summit was guaranteeing a peaceful, stable, and secure environment, including security and safety in the East Sea. This is a common concern and interest of ASEAN and regional countries. ASEAN leaders set as a target that the bloc continue to elevate its role and voice in East Sea issues. Deputy Minister Pham Quang Vinh said: "ASEAN countries have to strive to achieve the set targets in building trust and showing restraint to avoid making the situation more complicated. We have to raise high and ensure the effective implementation of agreements and commitments relating to the East Sea including ASEAN’s 6-point principles on the East Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and the ASEAN – China Statement marking the 10^th anniversary of the DOC, consisting of many common principles."

To mark the 10^th anniversary of the DOC this year, ASEAN and China have actively worked toward the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC). At an ASEAN – China high level meeting in Beijing on April 2, China proposed a series of activities to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of its strategic partnership with ASEAN in politics, economics, trade, cooperation in handling non-traditional security challenges, and ensuring regional peace and security, including the East Sea. This year, handling East Sea issues will be one of the key elements of ASEAN - China relations.

In the spirit of respecting a united, strong ASEAN, the Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is contributing actively to the success of the 22^nd ASEAN summit, aiming to maintain peace, security, stability, cooperation, and development in the region.