PM Dung attends 9th East Asia Summit

Those in attendance included US President Barack Obama, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Korean Republic President Park Geun-hye, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

This is the 9th year ASEAN and leaders of major Asian Pacific countries have conducted an annual dialogue on strategic issues as the East Asia Summit's mechanism has become an important integral part of the shaping regional structure in which ASEAN plays a crucial role in consolidating confidence and maintaining peace and security in the region.

Addressing the meeting, PM Dung said despite remarkable progress in East Asian cooperation, the region is still facing huge challenges such as traditional and non- traditional security, natural disasters, epidemics, transnational crime, climate change, energy and maritime security and territorial disputes. In that context, the countries should have a long-term vision for building a regional architecture for peace, stability and development in East Asia.

Regarding the East Sea issue, PM Dung suggested the East Asia Summit, as a dialogue forum of leaders, further promote consultations, dialogues and cooperation on issues related to peace, security and development in the region, primarily in connection with the building and consolidation of strategic trust, and mutual understanding in the region.

"To cope with the complex East Sea developments, the countries need to maximize their efforts to ensure the observance of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and peaceful  settlement of disputes without the use or threat to use force" Dung stressed.

He also underscored the need to fully and properly implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), notably Article 5 of the Declaration on excising restraint and avoiding actions that complicate or increase regional tensions, and accelerate substantial negotiations aiming to soon achieve a legally binding Code of Conduct on the East Sea (COC) thus ensuring peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea.

After the 9th East Asia Summit, PM Dung and ASEAN leaders are scheduled to attend the ASEAN-US Summit and, the ASEAN-China Summit and the ASEAN+3 (the Republic of Korea, Japan and China).

(Souce: VOV News)