`What happens in reality will be put on the discussion table, because ASEAN meetings all include discussions on regional and international issues,` Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung said today at a press conference

Mr. Dung answered the question of whether Vietnam has raised recent developments in the East Sea with regional partners.

HNCC 36 is scheduled to take place on June 26, in an online format due to the impact of Covid-19.

China has continuously taken provocative actions in the East Sea since the beginning of the year, in the context of countries around the world focusing their efforts on fighting Covid-19.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung at a press conference on the afternoon of June 23 in Hanoi.

Deputy Minister Dung said that in this internal HNCC 36, ASEAN leaders will discuss building the bloc’s Community in the last 6 months of the year;

Regarding the discussion of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China, Mr. Dung said that so far the two sides have not held any meetings due to the impact of the pandemic.

Referring to the online meeting format, Deputy Minister Dung said that ASEAN has long wanted to apply this format, in order to reduce travel costs for delegates.

As ASEAN Chair, Vietnam will host an additional summit (ASEAN 37) later this year.

Vietnamese-English