(VOVworld) – The 30^th ASEAN Summit closed in the Philippines on Saturday. Before that, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and leaders of ASEAN countries signed the “ASEAN Declaration on the Role of Civil Service as Catalyst for Achieving ASEAN Community Vision 2025”. The declaration emphasized the role and importance of civil services in achieving the ASEAN Vision 2025 and ways to strengthen ASEAN cooperation in civil services.

At a narrow meeting the same day, ASEAN leaders discussed ways to strengthen external relations and strengthen ASEAN’s central role and other regional and global issues. In his address, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed concern about recent changes in the region and the world and their impact on ASEAN and each ASEAN member. He urged ASEAN to uphold its role and the Community spirit. Prime Minister Phuc shared his concern about the increasing tension on the Korean peninsula, the East China Sea, and the East Sea as well as terror attacks in Europe. He asked ASEAN to uphold the principle of settling disputes by peaceful means in line with international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and soon accomplish the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.

After the meeting, ASEAN leaders met representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and ASEAN youths.