By Han Qiao
HANOI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers from ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened in Vietnam capital Hanoi Tuesday ahead of the 17th ASEAN Regional Forum to discuss regional integration and security enhancement.
In response to recent rising tension in the Korean Peninsula following a South Korean warship sinking on March 26 with the loss of 46 sailors, ministers expressed their concern over the situation and called for early resumption of six-party talks on denuclearization, said 43rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting spokesman Tran Ngoc An at a news briefing.
ASEAN foreign ministers believed that the six-party talks will be a main platform for long-term peace and stability in Korean Peninsula, said An.
The six-party talks, involving China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, have been stalled since December 2008. It is aimed at realizing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and achieving peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
ASEAN foreign ministers also expressed support for the presidential statement of the United Nations Security Council earlier this month which condemned the attack on Cheonan warship without assigning blame, said An.
ASEAN foreign ministers extended condolences to the people and government of the Republic of Korea for their loss.
An said ASEAN foreign ministers also discussed the amendment to Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) at the meeting.
TAC is a regional security pact adopted by ASEAN in 1976. It is aimed at promoting peace, security and stability in the region.
With the rising importance of ASEAN, TAC has seen wider engagement from countries outside ASEAN in recent years. China joined TAC in 2003, being the first country outside the region to accede to TAC.
A number of countries have also taken part in TAC including India, Japan, Pakistan among others. The United States joined TAC last year. The European Union is in the process of joining TAC.
An said the third amendment to TAC will be signed on Friday at the 17th ASEAN Regional Forum to allow international organizations to join it, and thus facilitate the accession of the European Union.
An said Canada and Turkey will sign the instrument to join TAC later this week. The moves send strong signal of their commitment to strengthening cooperation with ASEAN and to peace and security in the region, he said.
An said ministers vowed to give full play of the established mechanism in the region like TAC to enhance regional security.
The annual ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting is to formulate the basic policies of the institution of ASEAN.
The Joint Communique adopted at the 43rd Foreign Ministers' Meeting focused on action and measures to further accelerate ASEAN Community building process, broaden ASEAN external relations, and other regional and international issues.
Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnamese prime minister and chairman of ASEAN summits this year, addressed the opening ceremony on Tuesday that establishing the ASEAN Community by 2015 is the top priority for ASEAN, and much needed to be done to realize the goal.
Dung also expressed growing confidence of ASEAN in participating in regional and international affairs. "ASEAN should present itself as a responsible member of the international community in responding to global challenges, especially economic crisis, climate change and pandemics," he said.
"ASEAN should be more proactive in recommending and undertaking measures to enhance the operational efficiency of ASEAN-led wider regional cooperation frameworks such as ASEAN plus three, East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum," said Dung.
ASEAN was founded in 1967 and currently comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The 17th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) will be held on Friday, drawing foreign ministers and foreign policy chief from its 27 members. ARF is the principal channel for multilateral security dialogue and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
HANOI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers from ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened in Vietnam capital Hanoi Tuesday ahead of the 17th ASEAN Regional Forum to discuss regional integration and security enhancement.
In response to recent rising tension in the Korean Peninsula following a South Korean warship sinking on March 26 with the loss of 46 sailors, ministers expressed their concern over the situation and called for early resumption of six-party talks on denuclearization, said 43rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting spokesman Tran Ngoc An at a news briefing.
ASEAN foreign ministers believed that the six-party talks will be a main platform for long-term peace and stability in Korean Peninsula, said An.
The six-party talks, involving China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, have been stalled since December 2008. It is aimed at realizing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and achieving peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
ASEAN foreign ministers also expressed support for the presidential statement of the United Nations Security Council earlier this month which condemned the attack on Cheonan warship without assigning blame, said An.
ASEAN foreign ministers extended condolences to the people and government of the Republic of Korea for their loss.
An said ASEAN foreign ministers also discussed the amendment to Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) at the meeting.
TAC is a regional security pact adopted by ASEAN in 1976. It is aimed at promoting peace, security and stability in the region.
With the rising importance of ASEAN, TAC has seen wider engagement from countries outside ASEAN in recent years. China joined TAC in 2003, being the first country outside the region to accede to TAC.
A number of countries have also taken part in TAC including India, Japan, Pakistan among others. The United States joined TAC last year. The European Union is in the process of joining TAC.
An said the third amendment to TAC will be signed on Friday at the 17th ASEAN Regional Forum to allow international organizations to join it, and thus facilitate the accession of the European Union.
An said Canada and Turkey will sign the instrument to join TAC later this week. The moves send strong signal of their commitment to strengthening cooperation with ASEAN and to peace and security in the region, he said.
An said ministers vowed to give full play of the established mechanism in the region like TAC to enhance regional security.
The annual ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting is to formulate the basic policies of the institution of ASEAN.
The Joint Communique adopted at the 43rd Foreign Ministers' Meeting focused on action and measures to further accelerate ASEAN Community building process, broaden ASEAN external relations, and other regional and international issues.
Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnamese prime minister and chairman of ASEAN summits this year, addressed the opening ceremony on Tuesday that establishing the ASEAN Community by 2015 is the top priority for ASEAN, and much needed to be done to realize the goal.
Dung also expressed growing confidence of ASEAN in participating in regional and international affairs. "ASEAN should present itself as a responsible member of the international community in responding to global challenges, especially economic crisis, climate change and pandemics," he said.
"ASEAN should be more proactive in recommending and undertaking measures to enhance the operational efficiency of ASEAN-led wider regional cooperation frameworks such as ASEAN plus three, East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum," said Dung.
ASEAN was founded in 1967 and currently comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The 17th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) will be held on Friday, drawing foreign ministers and foreign policy chief from its 27 members. ARF is the principal channel for multilateral security dialogue and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
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