Scene at the event (Photo: asean.usmission.gov)KualaLumpur (VNA) – ASEAN and the US underscored the importance of theirstrategic partnership at their 31st dialogue in Selangor, Malaysiaon April 2-3
Participatingrepresentatives of the US and ASEAN celebrated the growth of political,security, economic and cultural ties between the sides, reflected throughimplementation outcomes of their action plan for 2016 – 2020. The plan saw 83out of its 95 activities and projects carried out.
Anumber of fruitful US-supported programmes in ASEAN included the Trade &Investment Framework Agreements, Expanded Economic Engagement (E3) Initiative,US-ASEAN Connectivity through Trade and Investment project, Young SoutheastAsian Leaders initiative, and Lower Mekong Initiative.
TheASEAN member countries praised the Trump Government for maintaining itscommitment to the bloc and stated their willingness to work with the nation to increaseASEAN self-reliance and realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.
ASEANand the US agreed to effectively implement their action plan for 2016 – 2020,particularly in such realms as free trade – investment, digital economics,connectivity, marine cooperation, education, people-to-people exchange, andresponse to nontraditional security threats.
ActingAssistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thorntonhighlighted the importance of ASEAN in the US policy on Asia – Pacific.
Voicingher support toward the bloc’s solidarity, unity, and centrality in the regionalarchitecture, the official said the US will continue helping ASEAN tacklenontraditional security challenges like marine security, cybercrime, andterrorism.
Thorntonintroduced the US’s idea of a free and open Indo-Asia-Pacific strategy, notingthat through it, the US wants to work with ASEAN and other partners in theregion to build a rules-based order of equality, free trade and investment.
TheUS welcomes the negotiation between the bloc and China on the Code of Conductof Parties in the East Sea in line with international law, including theUNCLOS, she added.
Sheaffirmed that the US supports peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Seabased on international law, stressing the importance of free navigation andoverflight on the waters, respect to territorial sovereignty, and non-militarization.
Addressingthe event, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung said Vietnam attachedimportance to the ASEAN – US strategic partnership.
TheVietnamese diplomat lauded the sides’ implementation of their action plan for2016 – 2020 and the US’s practical moves to keep commitments to and fostercooperation with ASEAN.
Onbehalf of the bloc member states, Dung affirmed ASEAN’s stance and principleson the East Sea issue.
Helisted opportunities and challenges that ASEAN, the US, and other dialoguepartners of the bloc need to work together to address, including piracy, humanand drug trafficking, illegal fishing, marine environmental protection, andpeaceful settlement of disputes.
Headded the collaboration can be achieved through regional frameworks andmechanism like the ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit, and Expanded ASEANMaritime Forum, based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of theSea (UNCLOS) to maintain a peaceful and stable environment in the region.-VNA
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