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| Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh chairs a meeting between ASEAN and China on Code of Conduct in Phnom Penh |
(VOV) - Foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN nations wrapped up a meeting with their counterparts from China, Japan, and South Korea in Phnom Penh yesterday. On the same day, the 5th Mekong – Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the 2nd Meeting of Mekong – South Korean Foreign Ministers were held. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh.
The ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers said ASEAN+3 has become one of the most dynamic and effective cooperation mechanisms in Eastern Asia. They hailed the decision to double the reserve pool to implement a multi-lateral agreement called the Chiang Mai Initiative and said they would soon implement an emergency rice reserve that ASEAN +3 approved last October.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers praised the progress in ASEAN+3 relations and the active contributions of China, Japan, and South Korea. ASEAN asked their partners to continue to support the construction of an ASEAN community to link the region, and narrow the development gap, and to back ASEAN in regional forums.
Some representatives expressed anxiety about recent developments in the East Sea and said all nations should respect international laws and the UN 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. Vietnam’s Deputy Minister Pham Quang Vinh reiterated the Vietnamese Government’s protest of China’s ratification of the Sansha City and its invitation for bids to exploit 9 oil and gas blocks inside Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. Vinh called for China to respect the sovereignty and jurisdictions of coastal countries whose exclusive economic zones and continental shelf areas are defined under the UNCLOS, and called for resolving disputes via peaceful measures without resorting to military forces.
The Mekong – Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting adopted an Action Plan to realize the Tokyo Strategy 2012. Under the plan, parties agree to implement measures based on three main goals: enhancing Mekong connectivity, developing jointly, and ensuring human security and environmental sustainability. Prompt implementation of the action plan will boost the ‘Partnership for common prosperity’ between Mekong countries and Japan. Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand were applauded for establishing a mechanism at the deputy foreign minister level to deal with obstacles and speed up the development of the East - West Economic Corridor. The first meeting of this mechanism was held in Quang Tri province in May.
Deputy Minister Vinh said that effective cooperation on water management will determine the success of the "Green Mekong Decade". Vinh asked the Secretariat and members of the Mekong River Committee to carefully study the proper management and sustainable development of the Mekong River, particularly the impact of hydro-electric dams.