ASEAN Summit: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh raises East Sea issue and solutions for Myanmar

According to a special correspondent of the Vietnam News Agency, continuing the working program of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related Summits in Vientiane, Laos, on October 9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of ASEAN countries and Timor Leste had a closed-door meeting to discuss international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Photo caption — The 45th ASEAN Summit's retreat session. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Countries assessed that the profound changes in the international and regional security environment pose many intertwined opportunities and challenges for ASEAN. Geopolitical tensions, conflicts, and instability erupt in many places, economic risks are constant, and many other challenges are emerging more and more fiercely such as climate change, natural disasters, and cyber security. In addition, new growth drivers open up new potentials and development opportunities for ASEAN as well as cooperation between ASEAN and its partners. In that context, leaders of countries emphasized the strategic significance of promoting connectivity and self-reliance, shared the importance of maintaining solidarity, unity, and ASEAN's central role, and enhancing ASEAN's capacity to confidently seize opportunities and self-reliantly overcome challenges. Regarding international and regional issues of common concern, the countries agreed to strengthen ASEAN's principled stance on the East Sea, emphasizing the respect for international law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The leaders of the countries highly appreciated the efforts of the Lao Chairman and the Chairman's Special Envoy on Myanmar, emphasizing that the Five-Point Consensus is a guiding document for ASEAN's efforts to support Myanmar.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared his comments and assessments of the current world situation, emphasizing that although peace is a major trend, conflicts and local wars continue, affecting all countries in the world, causing disruptions in supply chains, production chains, and increasing costs of raw materials, energy, and transportation. The Prime Minister suggested that ASEAN needs to unite, promote a common voice calling for an end to war and conflicts, and seek solutions to bring peace on the basis of respect for international law. The Prime Minister also emphasized that ASEAN needs to be more proactive in seizing and taking advantage of opportunities and growth drivers, promoting digital transformation, green development, responding to climate change, and many other emerging potential areas of cooperation. Regarding the East Sea issue, the Prime Minister emphasized that disputes over sovereignty over islands in the East Sea must be resolved by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially UNCLOS 1982, and requested that parties respect the interests and sovereignty of the countries involved. The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to ensure security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, the most important transport route, accounting for 60% of the world's cargo traffic and affecting all countries, especially those in the region. Accordingly, the Prime Minister requested ASEAN member countries to unite, strengthen the central role and common stance on the East Sea.

Regarding Myanmar, the Prime Minister highly appreciated the role of the Lao Chairmanship in 2024 and the previous rotating Chairs in supporting Myanmar in finding solutions based on the 5-point Consensus, but the effectiveness of implementation so far has been limited. This reality requires ASEAN to have a new approach. Expressing his approval of many solutions proposed by countries, the Prime Minister affirmed that the solution for Myanmar must be decided by the people of Myanmar; hoping that relevant parties in Myanmar will dialogue and negotiate to end the conflict, not affecting the people as well as causing security consequences for the region, including transnational crimes, online fraud, etc. Suggesting that relevant parties in Myanmar need to work together to find solutions to this problem, the Prime Minister said that ASEAN needs to promote its role, acting as a bridge to create conditions for relevant parties to dialogue and negotiate. In those efforts, ASEAN needs to strengthen solidarity, unity and promote its central role. These are also the values that have made ASEAN successful and prestigious, helping ASEAN overcome difficulties and challenges, becoming the center of peace and cooperation.

Pham Tiep (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/hoi-nghi-cap-cao-asean-thu-tuong-pham-minh-chinh-neu-van-de-bien-dong-va-giai-phap-cho-myanmar-20241009165742375.htm