PM Pham Minh Chinh at the event (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a Vietnamesedelegation to the annual first ASEAN-Australia Summit that was held virtuallyon October 27.

In his speech, PM Chinh spoke highly of Australia’s assistanceto the region and ASEAN member states in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

He thanked Australia for offering vaccines and medical suppliesto ASEAN nations, including Vietnam. He also suggested Australia enhancesupport to help ASEAN improve its capacity of preventive medicine and responseto medical emergencies and communicable diseases in the future, towardssustainable economic development.

The Vietnamese leader hailed Australia’s active and responsiblecontribution to issues related to peace and stability in the region, includingthe East Sea issue.

On such basis, he wished Australia would continue backing ASEAN’sefforts to maintain peace, stability, security, maritime and aviation safetyand freedom in the East Sea, as well as uphold the abidance by internationallaw and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) viadiplomatic process, promote self-restraint and the settlement of disputes bypeaceful means.

Australian PM Scott Morrison affirmed his appreciation of tieswith ASEAN, support of ASEAN’s central role in regional architecture and ASEANOutlook on the Indo-Pacific.

He committed to effective participation in ASEAN-led dialogueand cooperation mechanisms on the basis of r⛎especting international law andpromoting regional order, thus making positive contributions to peace,security, stability and development in the region.

Morrison vowed to support ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue,uphold the role of promoting dialogue and strengthening trust building, the fulland effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties inthe East Sea (DOC), towards reaching an effective and efficient Code of Conductin the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.

Australia welcomes and supports ASEAN’s role in promotingdialogue and reconciliation, as well as helping Myanmar seek measures tostabilise the situation, he said.

Participants spoke highly of the positive developments ofASEAN-Australia partnership. They hailed Australia as a significant economicpartner of ASEAN with a two-way trade of over 100 billion AUD last year.

Concludingthe event, they agreed to upgrade ASEAN-Australia ties to a comprehensivestr🧜ategic partnership level./.