ASEAN needs breakthrough in community building

ASEAN leaders to the 22nd Summit, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, April 25, 2013 – Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

ASEAN leaders stressed the point during the 22^nd ASEAN Summit in Seri Begawan, Brunei on April 25.

The bloc also needs to continue maintaining solidarity and promote its central role in boosting regional connectivity and in addressing issues of strategic importance for ASEAN.

The leaders agreed that ASEAN must continue its active role in contributing to peace, security, stability, and cooperation in the region through tools like TAC, SEANWFZ, ASEAN’s six-point principles, DOC, ARF, and ADMM

Member countries emphasized the importance of enhancing coordination and collaboration among three pillars of the ASEAN Community.

ASEAN leaders also agreed to beef up external relations with the bloc’s partners and be active in shaping cooperation within frameworks like ASEAN 1, ASEAN 3, ARF, EAS, ADMM among others.

Regarding regional and international issues, they focused on discussing East Sea issue, considering it as ASEAN’s common concern, thus, ASEAN must have a common voice for peace and security in the region.

During their discussions, member countries affirmed the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, maritime safety in the East Sea and settling disputes through peaceful measures, with respect to international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The leaders assigned Foreign Ministers and senior officials to continue working with Chinese side to step up the conclusion of a more legally-binding Code of Conduct (COC).

They also voiced concern over tensions on the Korean peninsula and called on relevant parties to refrain for a peaceful, stable and nuclear-free peninsula./.

By Hai Minh