Their Royal Highnesses Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Zariah, yesterday arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, where HRH Prince Mohamed Bolkiah will lead the Brunei delegation at the 43rd Asean Ministerial Meeting, Post Ministerial Conference and the 17th Asean Regional Forum from July 19-23.
HRH Prince Mohamed last evening attended an informal working dinner hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Pham Gia Khiem. The ministers discussed a wide range of regional and international matters.
HRH Princess Hjh Masna, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, also arrived in Hanoi to attend the 4th meeting of the Political Security Community Council of Asean and the SEA Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Commission last evening.
At the meeting, the ministers stressed the need to implement cooperative programmes in a synchronous and effective manner to promote the building of the Asean Political Security Community, according to a press release of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xinhua reported.
They agreed to continue enhancing the role of tools to ensure peace and security in the region such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, Treaty on Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone, and the ASEAN Regional Forum, said the press release.
The ministers welcomed the recent progress in regional political and security cooperation including the agreement to hold a defence ministers' meeting between the Asean and dialogue partners. The first Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus is scheduled to take place in Vietnam in October.
Delegates also expressed their support for intensifying cooperation to assist people and vessels in distress at sea and strengthening cooperation among Chiefs of Homeland Security of Asean member states.
- Borneo Bulletin
(20th July 2010)
