(VOVworld) - ASEAN countries have agreed on the bloc’s six-point principle on the East Sea issues thanks to diplomatic efforts of Indonesian FM Marty Natalegawa and his consultations with his ASEAN counterparts, including direct meetings with the foreign ministers of Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia, to reach a consensus on their common positions on this issue.

Indonesian FM Marty Natalegawa and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Nam Hong after talks on July 19. (Photo: internet)

After discussions, ASEAN’s Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the commitments made by ASEAN’s member states to:
1. the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (2002);
2. the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (2011)
3. the early conclusion of a Regional Code of Conduct in the East Sea ;
4. the full respect of the universally recognised principles of International Law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);
5. the continued exercise of self-restraint and non-use of force by all parties; and
6. the peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with universally recognised principles of International Law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The document has reiterated ASEAN’s basic principles on the East Sea issues, reflecting the bloc’s unity and solidarity, as well as its central role in solving regional burning issues, including those related to the East Sea.