At the meeting, participants discussed measures to implement decisions issued at the 43^rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-43) and related meetings in Hanoi last month and preparations for ASEAN summits and summits between ASEAN and Dialogue Partners, including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and the United Nations scheduled for October 28-30 in Vietnam.

The meeting also discussed preparations for the agenda and contents of the Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (IAMM) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this September.

The ASEAN senior officials devoted significant time to an exchange of views on a regional cooperation structure, especially the invitation of Russia and the US to become East Asia Summit (EAS) members.

They agreed that the regional architecture should support the goal of building the ASEAN Community, ensure the association’s role, respect the EAS’s consensus principle, its objectives, rules and priorities and actively contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development in East Asia in general and Southeast Asia in particular.

The meeting considered a report by the working group for compiling an ASEAN statement on cooperation in rescuing persons and vessels in distress at sea, to be submitted to ASEAN Foreign Ministers for approval.

Regional senior officials also discussed several issues relating to priority areas in the overall plan on building the ASEAN Politic-Security Council (APSC) and strengthening ASEAN connectivity, the Hanoi Action Plan on implementing ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Vision Statement and legal documents for implementation of the ASEAN Charter.