Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh attended three important meetings of ASEAN and held bilateral meetings with foreign ministers on the sidelines of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 69) in New York on September 26-27.

Minh and his ASEAN counterparts at the Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (IAMM) discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern as well as measures to enhance cooperation among ASEAN countries at international forums, especially at the UN and mutually support in running for seats at UN agencies and other international organisations.

He applauded the regional grouping’s achievements, unity and solidarity in dealing with important regional issues and results obtained at the ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF) and Expanded AMF in August, 2014 in Danang, Vietnam, as well as ASEAN-China Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) in early September in China on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

The FM called for ASEAN countries’ greater efforts to prevent from further complicating the East Sea situation and accelerate the full implementation of DOC and dialogues to soon build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and President of the UN General Assembly John Ashe and FM Minh put forwards measures to foster cooperation under the framework of the comprehensive partnership between ASEAN and the UN.

They agreed that strengthening the comprehensive partnership between ASEAN and the UN will contribute to maintaining peace, security and development in the region and the world as well as helping address global challenges- terrorism, trans-national crime, epidemics and natural disasters.

Deputy PM Minh spoke highly of the UN’s support for building the ASEAN Community, emphasizing ASEAN and the UN need to speed up the implementation of plans under the framework of the comprehensive partnership, aiming to reduce poverty, promote sustainable development, enhance connectivity and cope with global challenges, such as climate change and natural disasters and ensure water resources and energy security.

He emphasized the need for ASEAN and the UN to augment cooperation to protect peace, stability and maritime security and safety in the region in accordance with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Vietnamese diplomat and US Secretary of State John Kerry reviewed the ASEAN-US relations in recent times and compared notes on cooperation on maritime security, climate change adaptation and people-to people exchange.

Kerry pledged the enhanced implementation of cooperative initiatives, such as US-ASEAN Expanded Economic Engagement (E3) and Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and confirmed his nation’s due attention to expanding relations with ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region as well as peace, and maritime security and safety in the region.

Deputy PM Minh greatly appreciated the US support for building the ASEAN community and its keen interest in climate change- an issue of Vietnam’s major concern. He urged the US to provide practical assistance to narrow development gaps and to enhance regional connectivity to ensure regional peace, stability, security and development.

He asked the US for more investment in cooperative programmes under the framework of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) and give Vietnam’s preferences in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement negotiations.