Minister of National Defense of Vietnam General Phan Van Giang attends the online ADMM Retreat 2021 (Photo: qdnd.vn)

General Giang addressed the ADMM Retreat 2021 held online on Wednesday chaired by  Brunei. He said that as major countries are forming more multilateral mechanisms and new strategies, ADMM has and will continue to strive to demonstrate its role to ensure a balance between internal and external interests of the bloc, meet the interest of partners both inside and outside ADMM+, and make sure that non-ASEAN countries are responsible for common issues of the region.

General Phan Van Giang emphasized on East Sea security: “Protecting maritime security and safety, and aviation freedom are in the interests of all countries in the world, so ASEAN needs to stick to its principled stance on the East Sea. That is resolving disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), strongly promoting countries’ commitment to observe international cooperation, behave responsibly and exercise self-restraint, take no action to cause tension or complicate the situation, fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and promote the early completion of the Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

The head of the Vietnamese delegation affirmed ADMM's ability to adapt to the new COVID-19 situation, including organizing online and in-person activities, in line with the general perception of leaders adopted at the recent 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits.