I. ANNOUNCEMENT
The 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Related Meetings
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh will lead the Vietnamese delegation to attend the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-50) and other related Ministerial meetings, including ASEAN + 1 Post-Ministerial Conferences with ASEAN's dialogue partners, the 18th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting (APT FMM-18), the 7th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting  (EAS FMM 7) and the 24th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF 24) in Manila, the Philippines, from August 4th to 8th 2017.

The Ministerial Meetings for Mekong cooperation frameworks will concurrently take place, including the Ministerial Meeting for Lower Mekong Countries, for Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, Lower Mekong Countries and the United States, Japan and India, together with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN.
On the line of “active, proactive and responsible”, the Vietnamese delegation comes to the AMM with a goal to take an active part in the ASEAN Community building process with its  emboldened commitment and ideas to strengthen the ASEAN Community building and to promote the cooperation, solidarity, unity and centrality of ASEAN, and especially the maintenance of  regional peace, security and development; foster substantive relations between ASEAN and its partners; enhance the effectiveness of regional forums, of which ASEAN has been taking the lead. In addition, Viet Nam’s participation in the AMM is to promote Viet Nam's image, status and role in ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

ASEAN 50th Anniversary, 22nd anniversary of Viet Nam’s Accession to ASEAN, ASEAN Flag Hoisting Ceremony
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will host a ceremony in commemoration of the 50th ASEAN Day (August 8 1967 – August 8 2017) and the 22nd anniversary of Viet Nam’s accession to ASEAN (July 28 1995 – July 28 2017) in Hanoi. Time: 6:30 PM - August 8th 2017. Venue: Melia Hanoi Hotel.
The event will be attended by government officials, leader representatives from ministries, government agencies and the People's Committee of Hanoi, and Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Hanoi.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam will organize the ASEAN Flag Raising Ceremony at the Headquarters of the Ministry early morning the same day at 7:30 AM.
The event will be attended by the Standing Deputy Foreign Minister, the leaders of a number of committees, ministries and government agencies and the People's Committee of Hanoi, as well as Ambassadors, Charges d’Affaires, and representatives from Embassies of ASEAN countries and ASEAN’s partners in Hanoi.
Members of the media wishing to cover these events are advised to register with the Department of Information and the Press of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

II. Q&A:
Could you elaborate on the incidents in which two Vietnamese fishing boats BD96101TS and KH95858TS were hit by foreign vessels in the East Sea? What is Viet Nam's reaction?
Vietnamese authorities have been working to verify the incidents.
Again we would like to state that Viet Nam strongly opposes all the inhuman actions, threat or use of force against Vietnamese fishermen.

Mr. Trinh Xuan Thanh is said to have turned himself in and on August 2nd the German Foreign Ministry spokesperson made a statement on that. Do you have any comment?
The Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam has released an announcement on July 31, which the media have already reported, that Mr. Trinh Xuan Thanh turned himself in on July 31. Presently, Vietnamese authorities are carrying out the investigation.
It is very regrettable that the German Foreign Ministry  spokesperson made that statement. Viet Nam values the Strategic Partnership relation with Germany and we wish to continue to move the ties forward.

On the upcoming ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting.  Will there be a chance that the framework of the COC be adopted? Do you have any comment on how effective the COC framework can be in dealing with the maritime disputes?
At the forthcoming 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-50) and related Meetings in Manila, the Philippines,  the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and China will work on the adoption of the COC framework, which has been finalized at the ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) on the COC consultations.
It should be noted that it is the shared interest of all ASEAN members countries and countries in the region  to maintain peace, security, and stability in the region and in the East Sea. On that ground, ASEAN  agrees on the  need to soon have an effective and legally binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea in order to ensure peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea, on the basis of respecting international law,  including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.

What is your comment on the rerent series of arrest of activists?
The persons in question were detained and investigated as there were signs of their law violations. The investigation are being conducted in line with penal procedure in Viet Nam.
As in other countries, all violations of the law in Viet Nam shall be seriously dealt with in accordance with Vietnamese law.

In July, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Germany and attended the G20 Summit. Viet Nam has said the visit took place in the context that  relations between Viet Nam and Germany had been deepened in all fields. How do you characterize  Viet Nam – Germany relations in the coming time?
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has had a successful visit to Germany in July.
As I have mentioned at the top, Viet Nam values the strategic partnership with Germany and wishes that our fine relations will continue to move forward./.