VNHNO - A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh attended the 10th Japan-ASEAN Defence Vice-Ministerial Forum, which opened in Japan’s Nagoya city on September 10.
As reported by Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), the forum focused on several main issues, including challenges and efforts to share universal values on the basis of the rule of law, response to natural disasters, and the vision to deepen the ASEAN-Japan defence cooperation.
Delegates at the event shared their views on the decisive role of respecting international law in peace and stability in the region and around the globe. However, competition among the world’s powers, arms races and unilateral efforts to change the status quo not only put international law in front of many challenges but also threaten freedom and openness, a platform of peace and prosperity in the region.
Agreeing with the views on the importance of respecting international law, Senior Lieutenant General Vinh emphasised the need for countries to correctly and objectively understand the interpretation of international law, while fully and seriously implementing international treaties and agreements that they have joined to ensure the respect of the law.
Representatives of countries participating in the forum also stressed that, while discussing the rule of law, it is impossible not to mention the East Sea and East China Sea, adding that countries should not militarise, or use or threaten to use force in the areas. Disputes must be settled by peaceful measures and on the basis of respect of diplomatic and legal processes, they stressed.
The 10th Japan-ASEAN Defence Vice-Ministerial Forum opened in Japan’s Nagoya city on September 10. Photo: VOV
The participants also underlined the need for the parties concerned to continue fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), a binding legal document between ASEAN and China, with the concerns of other countries taken into account.
At the forum, the ASEAN countries showed their support for Japan to enhance their defence ties with the 10-member group in accordance with the Vientiane Vision, especially activities aiming to improve the capacity of ASEAN member nations.
Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Vinh informed those present that Vietnam assumed the role of coordinator of the ASEAN-Japan Dialogue since August 2018. He stressed that the country will continue to coordinate with Japan in order to materialise the cooperation contents between ASEAN and Japan in the spirit of the Vientiane Vision reached by the defence ministers of Japan and ASEAN countries.
On the occasion, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh also met with his Japanese counterpart Ro Manabe, during which both sides expressed their satisfaction in terms of the defence cooperation between Japan and Vietnam in recent years.
They agreed to promote collaboration in naval ship exchanges, the defence industry, cyber security, war remediation, and UN peace-keeping operations./.
