Vietnam Aims to Foster Peace and Prosperity in the Indian Ocean

Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet joined over 300 senior officials, researchers, and scholars from more than 30 countries worldwide at the 6th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Dhaka, Bangladesh from May 12-13, as reported by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on Monday. At the event, Viet engaged in discussions on key topics such as maritime security, sustainable development, and regional cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.

6th Indian Ocean Conference “Peace, Prosperity, Partnership for a Resilient Future” co-hosted by India in Dhaka on May 12-13, attended by Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet, who addressed session on ‘Rise of a peaceful Indo-Pacific for a resilient global future’. Source: Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India

Themed “Peace, Prosperity & Partnership for a Resilient Future”, the 6th International Olympic Committee (IOC) session focused on major issues such as politics, economy, security, environment, and climate change. The discussions held during the event aimed to create an environment of peace, development, and prosperity by encouraging collaboration between countries in and outside the region. This will pave the way for a more resilient future. Themed “Peace, Prosperity & Partnership for a Resilient Future”, the 6th IOC discussed issues related to politics, economy, security, environment, and climate change, contributing to creating a premise for countries in and outside the region to promote cooperation, toward building an environment of peace, development, and prosperity.

In his address to the plenary session, the Vietnamese official highlighted the current state of the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific region, along with the considerable challenges it faces as a result of conflicts, disputes, and strategic competition among leading powers, as well as arising non-traditional security issues.

He conveyed a three-point message for a peaceful, prosperous, and secure future of the region, stressing the necessity of developing an open and inclusive regional architecture based on the fundamental principles of international law, with ASEAN at the center; increasing mutual understanding and respect, generating trust, and exercising an autonomous and self-reliant foreign policy amid the rivalry of major powers; and advancing cooperation and partnership, especially maritime cooperation, through bilateral and multilateral channels and a holistic approach.

The Vietnamese representative also underscored the importance of adhering to and abiding by international law, with particular emphasis on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS); stressing the need to respect the sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction, and legitimate maritime interests of all countries in accordance with international law, and to settle disputes and disagreements through peaceful means in line with international law.

Viet highlighted ASEAN has been actively engaged in carrying out the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and developing a substantial and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law.

He proposed enhancing collaboration and interconnectivity among countries in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly with ASEAN member states, to promote sustainable development, turn the blue-sea economy into an impetus for sustainable and equitable economic growth, and tackle non-traditional threats.

Prime Minister of Bangladesh, President of Mauritius, Vice President of Maldives, External Affairs Minister of India addressed the inaugural session. Source: Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India

In the context of the conference, Deputy Foreign Minister Viet held bilateral meetings with State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Tharaka Balasuriya, Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts, and Secretary (East) of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Saurabh Kumar.

During their meeting, Viet and Balasuriya reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate and provide support to one another at international forums, and decided to organize meetings of key bilateral cooperation mechanisms in the near future; they also agreed to step up cooperation on Buddhism and spiritual tourism, contemplate the possibility of establishing air routes connecting Vietnam and Sri Lanka, and explore ways to enhance two-way trade and investment in the near future.

Deputy FM Do Hung Viet had bilateral meetings with State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Tharaka Balasuriya. Photo: TG&VN

At the meeting with Vietnamese official Viet, Tim Watts affirmed that cooperation with Vietnam is always a priority for Australia in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks. He further proposed that the two countries should take full advantage of the growth momentum of bilateral trade; facilitate collaboration in agriculture, labor, and tourism; and explore new avenues for cooperation that bring mutual benefits, such as climate change response, digital economy, and energy transition.

During his meeting with the Indian official, Deputy Foreign Minister Viet of Vietnam reaffirmed the country’s long-standing policy of valuing the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with India. He proposed that the two countries intensify the exchange of high-level delegations, deepen their cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, culture, people-to-people exchanges, and security – defense; and collaborate closely at multilateral forums.

Saurabh Kumar declared that India will carry on to extend its cooperation with Vietnam in several domains, including commerce, oil and gas, and defense, as well as in international assemblies.

The second Vietnam-Bangladesh political consultation takes place in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on May 14. Photo: TG&VN

Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Masud Bin Momen, co-chaired the second Vietnam-Bangladesh political consultation on May 14 in Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka.

They unanimously agreed to collaborate in constructing a sustainable vision for two-sided ties, while raising the trade of representatives at all stages, fortifying current collaboration systems, and assessing the reactivation and enhancement of the Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, and Science-technology Cooperation.

The two sides agreed to bolster their cooperation in defense and security, economics, trade, and investment, as well as education, fishing, and livestock farming, while also encouraging cultural and tourism exchange.

Bangladesh is currently the second largest trade partner of Vietnam in South Asia. In the past decade, two-way trade has grown exponentially, increasing fourfold from roughly USD 350 million in 2012 to USD 1.5 billion in 2022. This impressive growth brings the two countries closer to their goal of achieving USD 2 billion in bilateral trade by 2022.