11th ASEM Summit concludes in Mongolia

They approved 20 initiatives including one raised by Vietnam to promote human resources for sustainable development. Myanmar will take over the host of the next ASEM summit in 2018 and ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting next year. 

Earlier, the leaders in their joint statement strongly denounced the terrorist attack in Nice on July 14 and pledged to ensure peace, stability, security freedom of navigation and aviation while not using force or threatening to use force, settling disputes by peaceful means based on international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked ASEM  members to show their political will in boosting regional dialogue and cooperation, trust building, and preventive diplomacy.

Despite Asia-Pacific remaining a dynamic region and a growth engine of the world, recent worrying developments in the East Sea – the artery for international navigation and aviation – have been eroding trust, fueling tensions and jeopardising peace, security and stability in the region and the world. 

In recent years, ASEAN have enhanced its central role and, together with other existing mechanisms at the regional and inter-regional levels including ASEM, contributed to maintaining regional peace, security and stability, the Vietnamese government leader said. 

He said disputes shall be resolved by peaceful means based on international law and committed to work with ASEAN and international community to promote dialogues and ensure peace, stability and security.