Vietnamese Delegation Participates in Key ASEAN Meetings in Laos

Vientiane, The Gulf Observer: A Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt, who is also the head of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam, participated in the Meeting of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Interface with the Representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) on Wednesday. These meetings marked the initial activities within the framework of the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-57) and related events.

At the start of the meetings, delegates observed a minute of silence in memory of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyễn Phú Trọng. The foreign ministers of ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretary General extended their heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Việt Nam, as well as to the General Secretary’s family, recognizing his significant contributions to national construction and development and his efforts in fostering regional and global cooperation and friendship.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, Saleumxay Kommasith, announced a national mourning period in Laos on July 25 and 26 to honor General Secretary Trọng’s legacy.

On behalf of the Vietnamese delegation, Deputy Minister Việt expressed gratitude for the condolences and sympathies extended to Vietnam during this time of mourning.

In the SEANWFZ Commission’s Meeting, Deputy Minister Việt emphasized the importance of the SEANWFZ Treaty, urging ASEAN to prepare and submit a resolution on the Treaty to the United Nations General Assembly. He also called for continued efforts to persuade nuclear-armed nations to join the SEANWFZ Protocol.

During the interface with AICHR representatives, Deputy Minister Việt praised the recent achievements of AICHR. He proposed that AICHR maintain a balanced approach suitable for all member countries, enhance exchanges and cooperation with partners to share experiences, and bolster capacity-building efforts, while upholding ASEAN’s leading role in the region.

These meetings set the stage for ongoing discussions and collaboration among ASEAN member states, reaffirming their commitment to regional peace, stability, and human rights.