Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam officially assumes the role as coordinatorfor ASEAN-the Republic of Korea (RoK) relations for 2021-2024 at the ASEAN-RoKForeign Ministers’ Meeting held via videoconference on August 3.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui ThanhSon affirmed Vietnam will work with other countries to intensify and deepen theASEAN-RoK strategic partnership in the new period.

Son appreciated the RoK's increasingly important role in theregion and welcomed its New Southern Policy aiming at deepening its partnershipwith ASEAN and Southeast Asia.

He suggested the RoK continue to supply vaccines againstCOVID-19 to ASEAN countries, support the bloc’s efforts to narrow thedevelopment gap and promote equitable and sustainable development in the ASEANsub-regions, including the Mekong sub-region.

The Vietnamese minister thanked the RoK for supporting ASEAN’sprinciple stance on the East Sea, and proposed the nation cooperate inpromoting dialogue and trust building, exercising restraint and respectinginternational law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea (UNCLOS).

He affirmed ASEAN's commitment to fully and effectivelyimplementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC)and maintaining efforts to achieve an effective and substantive Code of Conductin the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law and the UNCLOS.

The official also asserted that ASEAN supports the RoK’s efforts to promotepeace, stability and complete denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula,stressing that ASEAN is ready to play a constructive role and create favourableconditions for dialogue among parties involved in ASEAN-led mechanisms.

Addressing the meeting, RoK Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yongaffirmed that his country attaches importance to its strategic partnershipwith ASEAN, emphasising that ASEAN is the priority of its New Southern Policy,and the RoK backs the grouping's central role in the regional architecture and the ASEAN Outlookon the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

In addition to 1 million USD in support for ASEAN’s pandemicresponse, the RoK proposed organising the ASEAN-RoK Health Ministers’ Meeting in2021 and strengthening medical dialogue between the two sides.

ASEAN countries appreciate the RoK’s timely and effectivesupport, asking it to promote cooperation in the development, production andsupply of COVID-19 vaccines.

Participants stressed the need to maintain a peaceful,secure, stable and favourable environment for pandemic prevention and controland post-pandemic recovery efforts.

The RoK backs ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea, and welcomes thebloc to promote its role in promoting cooperation, dialogue and  trust building in the region, and building an efficient and effective COC, in accordancewith international law and the UNCLOS.

At this meeting, the two sides agreed to issue a Declaration on strengthening ASEAN-RoK cooperation on AOIP at the 22nd ASEAN-RoKSummit later this year./.