Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister Pham Binh Minh will attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMMRetreat) which will be held virtually on January 21, said Foreign Ministry’sSpokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang at a press briefing on January 14.
Minh will take part in the event at the invitation of Second Minister of Foreign Minister of Brunei Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, she said.
The retreat is the opening event of the ASEAN Chairmanship Yearof Brunei in 2021 with the theme “We Care, WePrepare, We Prosper”.
At the event, ASEAN foreign ministers willdiscuss a wide range of issues, including the implementation of outcomes of the37th ASEAN Summit that took place in November 2020 in Hanoi, and majortasks and priorities of the grouping in 2021, as well as issues of theassociation’s external relations and regional and international matters ofcommon concern.
Earlier, speaking at the first press conference of the Foreign Ministryin 2021, Hang said that 2020 witnessed special and unprecedented things. Alongwith socio-economic and traditional security issues, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed widespread and deep impacts on all aspects of life at global level and on each country and people.
She affirmed that in this context, with the consensus and effortsof the whole political system and people, Vietnam gained encouragingachievements in pandemic control and socio-economic development, especially inexternal relations.
The country fulfilled the role of ASEAN Chair in 2020, Presidentof the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-41)and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the first year, shesaid.
Hang noted that bilateral and multilateral diplomacy has been strengthened and reinforced through online and direct events. Besides, Vietnam’s provision of medical supplies to 51 countriesand international organisation has contributed to the global efforts inpreventing and combating the pandemic, she stated.
Vietnam and neighbouring countries have maintained shared landborder of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, while upholding internationallaw, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in thesettlement of issues at sea, said Hang.
She said that Vietnam strengthened international economicconnection through the approval and implementation of new generation free tradeagreements (FTA), including the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA), the UK-Vietnam FTA, andthe Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
“We are glad as the Dak Nong Geopark was recognised by theUNESCO as a Global Geopark, while Vinh city of Nghe An and Sa Dec city of DongThap become a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, she said.
The spokesperson underlined that amidst difficulties from thepandemic, Vietnam has supported citizens from other countries in COVID-19treatment and brought them home, while rolling out citizen protection measuresfor Vietnamese abroad. Vietnam arranged 299 flights to bring home more than80,000 Vietnamese citizens from 60 countries and territories, she added./.
