The meeting between the ACW and the ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi in Washington D.C on September 26. (Photo: VNA)The events consisted of an ACW session discussing thecommittee’s plan of activities for the last four month of 2022, a meeting withASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, and another with the US National SecurityCouncil and the US Department of State.
At the internal session of the ACW, the Vietnamese Embassy receivedthe ACW Chairmanship handed over from the Thai Embassy.
Congratulating the ThaiEmbassy on successfully fulfilling the ACW Chairmanship, Dung affirmedthat the Vietnamese Embassy will uphold and promote the ACW’s tradition whileproactively and actively promoting efforts to connect the committee with theadministration, Congress, businesses, scholars, and others in the US so as tofurther intensify ASEAN - US relations and guarantee ASEAN’s centrality in theevolving regional architecture.
At this meeting, diplomats discussed and agreed on the ACW’splan of activities for the last four months of this year.
Speaking at the working session with the ACW, ASEANSecretary-General Lim Jock Hoi updated the committee on the bloc’s progress inthe Community building, along with opportunities and challenges to ASEAN in thecurrent context. He stressed that ASEAN is working to identify a new orientationfor the post-2025 period.
ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi (fifth from left), Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung (centre) and other diplomats pose for a photo. (Photo: VNA)At the meeting with theACW, both Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs in the US National Security Council KurtCampbell and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs DanielKritenbrink affirmed that the US supports ASEAN’s centrality and attaches greatimportance to the bloc during the implementation of its policy for theIndo-Pacific region.
The ASEAN Secretary-General, ambassadors, and chargés d’affairesexpressed their hope that the US will maintain its commitments, constructive andresponsible engagement, respect for international law, and support for ASEAN torecover economies after the COVID-19 pandemic, respond to climate change, anddevelop the Mekong sub-region, thereby helping to sustain regional peace,stability, cooperation, and development.
The two sides voiced their delight at the growth of ASEAN -US relations, especially the outcomes of the ASEAN - US Special Summit last May.They also looked into the preparations for high-level meetings slated for laterthis year, stressing priority for efforts to upgrade the ASEAN - US strategicpartnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership in November./.
VNA
