head of Vietnam's ASEAN SOM and Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung (Photo: VNA)At the forum, Australia informed about the implementation ofa 500 million AUD investment package announced by the Australian Prime Ministeron the occasion of the ASEAN-Australia Summit in November last year to support acomprehensive recovery in the region. Also mentioned were its funding of 1million AUD to the bloc’s Comprehensive Recovery Framework, 1 million AUD tothe COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, and 21 million AUD to the ASEAN Centre forPublic Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED).
ASEAN member states lauded Australia’s commitments and effectivecooperation, as well as the couuntry's active engagements and support to ASEAN’s efforts to promotedialogues and sustain regional stability and prosperity, and response toemerging challenges.
ASEAN and Australia agreed to work together in implementingtheir Plan of Action for 2020 – 2024 with a focus on prioritised sectors likeeconomy-trade-investment, anti-terrorism, anti-transnational-crime, education,environmental protection, climate change, and development gap narrowing, amongothers.
They affirmed to continue working closely together incontribution to maintaining peace and stability in the region, including security and stability in the East Sea.
Australia underscored its support to ASEAN’s principle stance, and the bloc's role in promoting dialogues and trust-building, ensuring the fullimplementation of the Declaration of the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea(DOC), and building a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Seain line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Discussing recent developments in Myanmar, participating countriescalled for efforts to ease the situation and ensure people’s safety. Theysaid they are ready to support Myanmar to strengthen dialogue and seeksolutions to stabilise the situation and maintain its democratic process.
On regional economic cooperation, head of Vietnam's ASEAN SOM Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, on behalf of ASEAN member states, stressed that given complexities facing the regionaleconomy, ASEAN and Australia should strive to maintain the momentum of regionaleconomic linkages, coordinate an effective implementation of importantagreements such as the agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New ZealandFree Trade Area (AANZFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Their contributions to maintaining the market openness,stabilising supply chain connections, supporting businesses, and speeding uprecovery are also important, he added./.
VNA
