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| Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (fifth from left), ASEAN Foreign Ministers and ASEAN Secretary-General at AMM-56. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
In an increasingly complex and unpredictable world, ASEAN cannot avoid facing challenges both internally and externally. However, with the training over the past 56 years, ASEAN has enough basis to be proud and confident of a united and strong ASEAN community.
The main purpose of the conferences within the framework of AMM 56 is to review the achievements in the first half of the year and to build orientations for ASEAN cooperation in the remaining period of the year; it is both a mid-year review and a step to strengthen ASEAN's determination for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region. In addition to the meetings between the 10 ASEAN countries, AMM 56 also includes conferences between ASEAN and each partner, the ASEAN + 3 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the East Asia Forum (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
This is an opportunity for ASEAN to affirm the role and strategic value of ASEAN-led mechanisms in promoting dialogue and cooperation, creating a forum for countries to exchange views, contributing to improving understanding, narrowing differences and promoting trust.
Unity - great strength
In a volatile strategic environment, how can the ASEAN “ship” steadily overcome difficulties and challenges to move forward? In response to this question, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and ASEAN Foreign Ministers once again emphasized the two words “solidarity”.
“Unity” brings great strength. Faced with strategic competition among major powers, cross-border security issues and complex developments at many hotspots, a united ASEAN will promote consultations to seek appropriate responses and maintain a balanced and harmonious approach in foreign relations.
In addition, ASEAN is expected to become a center of growth, attracting investment and resources for development. Compared to the general picture of the global economy, ASEAN maintains its growth momentum with positive signals in domestic consumption, exports and recovery in the service industry. To realize this great expectation, it is clear that ASEAN needs to unite, further strengthen ASEAN's self-reliance and flexible adaptation to all opportunities and challenges facing the region.
Currently, ASEAN continues to be a bright spot with a positive growth forecast of 4.7% in 2023. With the impact of the pandemic still present, ASEAN needs to put economic and trade cooperation at the center of its tasks, effectively exploiting growth drivers to restructure the economy. ASEAN needs to seize the opportunity to avoid being left behind.
In parallel with the spirit of “solidarity”, on this occasion, the Ministers highlighted ASEAN’s tradition of dialogue and cooperation, enhancing trust, overcoming differences and building consensus. Because only then can ASEAN achieve peace, security and stability, which are clearly prerequisites for prosperity.
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| Plenary session of the AMM-56 Conference. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Building a peaceful and cooperative East Sea
International and regional issues of common concern such as the situation in Myanmar or the East Sea were discussed frankly and substantively by the leaders within the framework of the 56th AMM.
The Ministers affirmed that the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and the 2022 Leaders’ Decision on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus remain valid and remain guiding documents for ASEAN’s efforts. “Any other efforts must support the implementation of the 5PC,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stressed at the AMM 56 retreat.
Minister Retno Marsudi said that as ASEAN Chair in 2023, over the past seven months, Indonesia has had a total of more than 110 meetings, contacts, and engagements... very extensively with all relevant parties in Myanmar, but affirmed that this is a complex and not easy task for Jakarta.
In that context, the Ministers expressed their support for the efforts of the Chair and Special Envoy, continued constructive dialogue with Myanmar, and persistently supported Myanmar in finding feasible and sustainable solutions; agreed that ASEAN needs to actively increase humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, especially promoting the role of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA) in mobilizing and implementing humanitarian assistance for the people of this country.
Sharing his views on this issue, Minister Bui Thanh Son supported ASEAN in supporting Myanmar in finding a solution, affirmed the value of the Five-Point Consensus, highly appreciated the efforts of the Chair and Special Envoy; and emphasized that the solution to the Myanmar issue must be decided by Myanmar.
Regarding the situation in the East Sea, ASEAN Ministers reaffirmed ASEAN's principled stance on the East Sea, committed to fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), towards building a substantive and effective Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC), in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasized the need to ensure a favorable environment for COC negotiations, and suggested that ASEAN should persist with its principled stance, uphold international law and the 1982 UNCLOS, and work towards building the East Sea into a sea of peace and cooperation.
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| Overview of the AMM-56 retreat. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
The central role needs to be affirmed
“ASEAN’s central role needs to be further affirmed” is the assessment and determination that ASEAN Ministers paid special attention to in their discussions on this occasion. ASEAN needs to take the lead in shaping an open, transparent, inclusive and rule-based regional structure with the active participation and responsible contribution of partners for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
The Ministers discussed ways to strengthen ASEAN's central role in the regional architecture, through improving the operational efficiency of ASEAN-led mechanisms to match their initial goals and future development potential.
ASEAN affirmed its desire to expand and deepen relations with partners, while emphasizing that the participation of partners in the region must be based on respecting ASEAN's central role, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly contributing to building an open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based regional structure.
Speaking at the discussion, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son shared the urgency of promoting the role of ASEAN-led mechanisms such as EAS and ARF in the current context. ASEAN needs to ensure the objectives, principles, openness and inclusiveness of the mechanisms on the basis of a balanced and objective approach, meeting the legitimate concerns of all parties.
Emphasizing the importance of ASEAN's central role, Minister Bui Thanh Son said that partners need to respect ASEAN's central role "both in words and actions", work with ASEAN to build trust, narrow differences, and promote dialogue and sincere cooperation. In relations with partners, ASEAN needs to maintain a balanced approach, consult with partners on issues of mutual concern, and ensure compliance with ASEAN's basic principles, processes and procedures.
The Minister supports ASEAN in strengthening relations with partners, encouraging the participation and contributions of partners in the region, supporting ASEAN in building the Community, and jointly responding to common challenges.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers were radiant in the traditional batik costumes of the host country Indonesia, their arms clasped tightly around the “ASEAN way”. Perhaps no “season” of AMM is more special than any other AMM, but each one has its own mark. The success of AMM 56 will push the “ship” of ASEAN forward.
| Within the framework of AMM 56, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son met with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn; held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Laos, India, Australia, Norway, etc. to discuss bilateral cooperation aspects and within the ASEAN framework. During the discussions, the Ministers highly appreciated Vietnam's role in ASEAN, supporting ASEAN's central role in regional security and peace. |
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