At the retreat, ministers shared the view on the uncertain and complicated situation filled with latent risks at present. In that context, the most important thing for ASEAN is to sustain solidarity, actively consult to seek appropriate response modalities, and maintain a balanced and harmonious approach in external relations, they stressed. In his remarks, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son shared the view on the urgency of promoting the role of ASEAN-led mechanisms. He asked the bloc to guarantee the mechanisms’ goals, principles, openness, and inclusiveness. He voiced support for ASEAN to strengthen relations with partners and encourage the participation of and contributions by partners in the region, to help it build the Community and together respond to common challenges. Regarding the East Sea issue, the Vietnamese official emphasized the importance of ensuring a favorable environment for the negotiation on a code of conduct (COC) in the waters./.