Earlier on the sideline of 18th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers Meeting, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and his counterparts from Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and Laos held talks, and agreed on pushing forth efforts to build the ASEAN Community, and increase coordination to maintain ASEAN's unity and central role in the region.
They also agreed to continue coordinating to maintain the bloc's basic principles in addressing issues related to peace and security in the region, including the East Sea issue on the basis of international law, the 1982 UNCLOS, in order to safeguard overflight and maritime freedom, security and safety in the East Sea, and to commit to fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and create a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
