Foreign Ministers of ASEAN countries pose for a photo at the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore.

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh underlined the multi-faceted progress in cooperation within ASEAN and between ASEAN and its partners. He proposed that ASEAN focus more on intra-bloc cooperation, maintain solidarity and its central role and enhance its collective capacity to respond to arising challenges.

Deputy PM Minh shared his concerns about recent activities in the East Sea, including militarisation, which he said threatens the peace and security of the region and trust between countries. He urged all parties to show restraint, avoid actions that might complicate the situation, and adhere to agreed principles and commitments.

The same day, Mr. Minh attended the 9^th meeting of the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation within AMM-51, where he spoke highly of the mechanism in the past few years, as well as India’s support for the region. He said the cooperation potential remains huge.