Vietnam calls for greater trust building between ASEAN and Russia

Vietnam has called for Russia’s more responsible and effective dialogues, cooperation, and trust-building in ASEAN-led mechanisms.

Vietnam's Minister of Public Security To Lam speaks at the event held on August 22. Photos: MPS

Vietnamese Minister of Public Security (MPS) To Lam made the call at the 2nd ASEAN-Russia Consultations of the High Representatives for Security Issues held virtually on August 22 with the participation of representatives of member states, including Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev and Hun Manith, Deputy Chief of Cambodian Defence Ministry’s Intelligence Department.

For further cooperation between ASEAN and Russia, To Lam suggested Russia actively participate in forums chaired by ASEAN, support ASEAN’s central role and efforts to promote dialogue, cooperation, and respond to emerging challenges, including maritime and aviation security and safety in the region.

The country is expected to support ASEAN’s stance on the South China Sea (referring to East Sea in Vietnamese) and efforts to build a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) in an effective manner, in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Vietnamese official requested ASEAN and Russia to step up cooperation on traditional security issues and new challenges such as preventing and combating terrorism, organized crime, transnational crime, and hi-tech scams while boosting law enforcement.

Typically, he suggested the two sides build a mechanism to coordinate ASEAN-Russia relations at the ministerial level in combating terrorism and transnational crime in order to move towards the signing of the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty), implement the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Relations and cooperation in addressing and countering the world’s drug problems and the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue on security issues in information technology.

Lam reiterated Vietnam's consistent support for strengthening the ASEAN-Russia strategic partnership and hoped that Russia will contribute more to ASEAN-led cooperation and mechanisms. Vietnam will do everything possible in collaboration with ASEAN countries and Russia “to address challenges" on the way to "a peaceful, stable, and sustainable region" and "drug-free ASEAN."

Overview of the meeting.

The first consultations of high representatives of Russia and the ASEAN member states in charge of security issues took place via videoconference on June 28, 2021.

In 2021, Russia and ASEAN celebrate the 30th anniversary of the beginning of relations and the 25th anniversary of the Russia-ASEAN dialogue partnership.

Russia has been developing bilateral security ties with the ASEAN states. In particular, in March 2021, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev visited Vietnam.

ASEAN includes ten countries of Southeast Asia: Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.