Defence co-operation between ASEAN and partners remains bright spot

VOV.VN - While a number of multilateral institutions globally continue to face various difficulties and challenges, co-operation in defence and security between ASEAN and its partners continues to represent a bright spot.

Minister of National Defence Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich made the statement during the seventh ASEAN Defence Minister Meeting-Plus (ADMM+), which was held virtually on December 10 in Hanoi.

“The defence channel has shown its active role not only in pandemic prevention and control of the army of each country, but also in regional co-operation. In the spirit of ‘Cohesion and Proactive Response’, based on modern digital platforms, we still maintain regular exchanges and co-operation as a way of shortening geographical and spatial distance between defence ministries and militaries of member nations,” said Minister Lich.

This year has posed many challenges, with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic causing a series of consequences in politics, economics, diplomacy, trade, and investment. As a result, ASEAN and its partners have faced up to enormous challenges, including travel restrictions between countries.

In the country’s role as ASEAN Chair 2020, the nation has devised an array of fresh initiatives which have been carried out in an effort to ensure that momentum is maintained and accelerated within the bloc, in addition to between ASEAN and its partners, moving forward.

“Vietnam is grateful for the support of Defence Ministries of ADMM-Plus members states and ASEAN Secretariat in the 2020 ASEAN Chairmanship,” Minister Lich said while stressing that in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, “ADMM-Plus member states have shown their proactiveness and displayed their responsiveness in terms of implementing initiatives and applying new methods through the creative utility of digital platforms. Therefore defence co-operation between ASEAN members and between ASEAN and its partners has constantly been strengthened”, the Minister added.

Throughout the meeting, ADMM+ members expressed their great appreciation for the nation’s efforts, emphasising that despite the complicated situation relating to COVID-19, the country has proactively and timely responded to the new situation. Indeed, the nation has been active to implement a number of priorities and initiatives in its year as ASEAN Chair, including successfully arranging military-defence conferences with ensured security, safety and efficiency. It has also made timely proposals and launched numerous initiatives relating to pandemic prevention and control efforts, as well as other collaboration activities within the ADMM-Plus co-operation framework.

They also compared notes on the global and regional situation, reached an agreement that it remains essential to use peaceful means and abide by international law in settling divergent issues, especially issues related to disputes over territory and sovereignty, such as disputes in the South China Sea, known locally as the East Sea.

Participants emphasised that disputes in the East Sea can only be effectively resolved within the spirit of friendship, goodwill, co-operation, and in accordance with the international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). Following the UNCLOS 1982, along with the full and effective implementation of the Declaration of the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC), whilst simultaneously reaching a swift conclusion on an effective and substantive Code of Conduction in the East Sea (COC) present good solutions to a major challenge.

This comes following Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sending a message to the 10th Anniversary of the Founding of ADMM-Plus in Hanoi, emphasising that the role of ADMM+ in regional security has been widely acknowledged, but it does not mean that such a role will be implicitly guaranteed in the future.

In order to stay active in adapting to an ever-changing international and regional environment, full of both opportunities and challenges, ADMM+ must make greater efforts and cohesion to strengthen its role in the regional architecture which is taking shape. This is largely based on close co-ordination with other ASEAN-centered regional co-operation mechanisms, such as the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the Regional Security Forum (ARF), PM Phuc added.

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