Leaders from ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste attended a closed-door session to exchange views on international and regional issues of common interest.

Continuing the agenda of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related meetings in Vientiane (Laos), on October 9th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, along with leaders of ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste, attended a closed-door session to exchange views on international and regional issues of common concern.

Countries assess that profound shifts in the international and regional security environment present ASEAN with a mix of opportunities and challenges. Geopolitical tensions, conflicts, and instability erupt in many places, along with persistent economic risks and increasingly acute challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and cybersecurity, are emerging. At the same time, new growth drivers are opening up new potentials and opportunities for ASEAN's development and cooperation with its partners.

Against this backdrop, the leaders emphasized the strategic significance of promoting connectivity and resilience, sharing the importance of maintaining ASEAN's solidarity, unity, and central role, and strengthening ASEAN's capacity to confidently seize opportunities and overcome challenges with resilience.

The Lao Prime Minister attended and delivered a speech at the closed-door session of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits.

Regarding international and regional issues of common concern, the countries agreed to strengthen ASEAN's principled stance on the South China Sea, emphasizing the supremacy of international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes on the basis of international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The leaders appreciated the efforts of the Lao Chair and the Chair's Special Envoy for Myanmar, emphasizing that the Five-Point Consensus is a guiding document for ASEAN's efforts to support Myanmar.

Speaking at the session, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared his observations and assessments of the current global situation, emphasizing that while peace is the dominant trend, conflicts and localized wars continue, affecting all countries worldwide, causing disruptions to supply chains and production chains, and increasing costs for raw materials, energy, and transportation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that ASEAN needs to unite and leverage its common voice to call for an end to war and conflict and seek solutions that bring peace based on respect for international law. The Prime Minister also emphasized that ASEAN needs to be more proactive in seizing and utilizing opportunities and drivers of growth, promoting digital transformation, green development, climate change adaptation, and many other emerging potential areas of cooperation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered a speech at the session.

Sharing his views on the South China Sea issue, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that disputes over maritime sovereignty in the South China Sea must be resolved peacefully on the basis of international law, especially UNCLOS 1982, and urged all parties to respect the interests and sovereign rights of the countries involved. The Prime Minister also stressed the need to ensure security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, a vital transportation route accounting for 60% of global cargo traffic and impacting all countries, especially those in the region. Accordingly, the Prime Minister urged ASEAN member states to unite, strengthen their central role, and maintain a common stance on the South China Sea.

Regarding Myanmar, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the role of the Lao Chair in 2024 and previous rotating Chairs in supporting Myanmar in finding solutions based on the Five-Point Consensus, noting that the effectiveness of implementation to date has been limited. This reality demands a new approach from ASEAN. Expressing agreement with many solutions proposed by various countries, the Prime Minister affirmed that the solution for Myanmar must be decided by the people of Myanmar; he hoped that the relevant parties in Myanmar would engage in dialogue and negotiations to end the conflict, preventing it from affecting the people and causing security repercussions for the region, including transnational crime and online fraud.

Based on that, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that all relevant parties in Myanmar should work together to find solutions. ASEAN needs to play a bridging role to facilitate dialogue and negotiation among the relevant parties. In these efforts, ASEAN needs to strengthen its solidarity and unity and promote its central role. These are also the values ​​that have contributed to ASEAN's success and prestige, enabling it to overcome difficulties and challenges and become a focal point of peace and cooperation.

Source: dangcongsan.vn