Vietnam played a constructive part in the success of the 25th ASEAN Summit and ASEAN summits with partners in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw from November 12-13, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh told the media.

Vietnam further underscored regional solidarity and unity as a prerequisite to ensure the birth of ASEAN Community by late 2015 and its solid advancement in the new period.

The bloc needed to work together actively for reaching a common stance, proactively raise voice when it comes to regional issues, and promote its central role in building a regional architecture built on its principles, value and code of conduct, as well as international law, he said.

On the Community-building course, Vietnam urged the entire bloc to take responsibility for their past commitments. It is among the countries that meet the highest number of set economic goals, amounting to 89 percent and is moving to dedicate more to political-security and socio-cultural pillars, Minh said.

Vietnam masterminded a number of key initiatives for the post-2015 Vision for ASEAN Community, which forms the bedrock of the bloc’s 2016-2025 development orientations, including dealing with challenges in security, maritime safety, climate change, water resource security, natural disasters and epidemic diseases.

He said the country and ASEAN members shared view that the interest of those in and outside the region is secured by the maintenance of regional peace, stability and development, including the issue of peace, stability, and maritime and aviation security and freedom in the East Sea.

Parties concerned were urged to comply with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea while settling their disputes by peaceful means, towards an early consensus on terms of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Vietnam took an active, constructive and responsible approach to this issue in related meetings and received positive response from participants, Minh noted.

While in Nay Pyi Taw, the ASEAN+1 Summits with China, India, Japan, the US, the United Nations, the 40th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit, ASEAN+3 and East Asia Summit, the Mekong-Japan Summit and a meeting between ASEAN leaders and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council were also held.

Participants concluded that the region has achieved over 85 percent of steps required to build the Community and expressed optimism about its existence next year.

They also ratified key elements of the post-2015 ASEAN Community Vision and discussed in depth ways to boost ties with partners.

Partners, in turn, pledged to assist ASEAN in building the Community and expanding joint work across trade, finance, investment, narrowing development gaps, sub-region coordination and response to emerging challenges.

Both sides also talked extensively about the East Sea issue, terrorism, Islam State’s extremism, among others.

At the end of events, the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration on the ASEAN Community’s post-2015 Vision, the Declaration on Strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat and Reviewing the ASEAN Organs, the ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change, the ASEAN-Japan Declaration for cooperation in counter terrorism and trans-national crimes were also adopted.

On the occasion, ASEAN and Australia agreed to elevate their dialogue relationship to the strategic partnership level.

VNA/VNN