Vinh joined other ASEAN officials in discussions of orientations for the building of the ASEAN Community in 2015 on the three pillars politics-security, economy and social-culture.

They also discussed measures to continue upholding ASEAN’s central role in issues relating to the emerging regional structure with the official participation of the US and Russia in the East Asia Summit (EAS), as well as to boost cooperation, peace and stability within the bloc and between ASEAN with its partners, thus improving ASEAN’s position in the global community.

The FMs exchanged views on issues of regional and international concerns relating to situation in Myanmar, the Korean Peninsula and the East Sea.

While hailing the election’s results and recent progresses in Myanmar, the ministers called on related parties in the Korean Peninsula to resume talks and affirmed that ASEAN is ready to contribute to building a peaceful, stable and nuclear-free environment on the peninsula. They stressed their request that security, peace and stability must be ensured in the East Sea and the DOC - Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea be implemented by all parties concerned. They said ASEAN attaches great importance to this document and will work for its full implementation.

On the regional connectivity, the meeting mentioned the development of infrastructure and roads among ASEAN and between ASEAN and China , including building a land route from Thailand through Laos to southern China , implementing the ASEAN infrastructure fund, and cooperating to tap tourism potential in ASEAN countries.

The meeting agreed that the ASEAN-China senior official meeting to be held in Kunming on Jan. 24-25 will launch a year of celebrations of the 20 th anniversary of relations between the two sides and will focus on the ASEAN-China linkage.