The event was chaired by Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro and attended by ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, along with more than 60 representatives from ASEAN member states and other TAC High Contracting Parties, including over 20 ministerial-level delegation heads.
    |
 |
|
Officials pose for a group photo at the high-level conference of the TAC High Contracting Parties in Manila, the Philippines, on July 24, 2026. |
ASEAN foreign ministers witnessed the signing ceremony for Sweden, Poland, Romania and Lithuania’s accession to the TAC.
The signing ceremony was followed by a high-level meeting of TAC High Contracting Parties. In the plenary, Lazaro said the treaty transformed Southeast Asia from an unstable region into a global economic driver anchored on peace and stability.
In a discussion on enhancing maritime security and cooperation, the Vietnamese delegation underscored that the TAC's principles serve as a "foundational code of conduct" guiding relations among countries amid profound global changes, rising geopolitical tensions, mounting challenges to international law and the erosion of multilateralism.
The delegation stressed that the TAC's time-tested principles, including respect for sovereignty, non-use of force and peaceful settlement of disputes, apply not only on land but also underpin relations among nations across the oceans and interconnected seas.
Vietnam reaffirmed ASEAN's principled stance on maritime security, stressing respect for international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It noted that full compliance with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and continued efforts to conclude an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) are a direct translation of the TAC's principles into concrete maritime security and cooperation commitments.
Vietnam also stressed that the TAC’s cooperative spirit lies at the heart of the broader regional security architecture, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). It called on all TAC High Contracting Parties to act together, turning strategic trust into practical cooperation for lasting peace, stability and shared prosperity.
Countries discussed a range of practical proposals to adapt the TAC to contemporary challenges.
Ministers agreed that amid mounting global uncertainty, the treaty’s principles remain a compass for dialogue, trust-building and a regional architecture based on peace, stability, cooperation and the rule of law.
The anniversary bore profound strategic importance, reaffirming the treaty’s enduring relevance and vitality, they said.
Source: VNA