Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chairs AMM-53 (Photo: VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Igor Driesmans has appreciated Vietnam’sefforts in hosting the 53rd ASEAN Ministers' Meeting and related meetings amidunprecedented challenges.
“Vietnam has successfully managed to host a series of important ministerialmeetings this year amid unprecedented challenges,” Ambassador Driesmans said inan interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents followingthe closing of the ministerial meetings.
The technical and logistical aspects of this undertaking are impressive, takinginto account the fact that the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) membership spans fourcontinents and multiple time zones, he said.
The 27th ARFand the ASEAN-EU Post-Ministerial Conference took place at a time when Europe,Southeast Asia, and the entire global community are facing the COVID-19pandemic. The fact that both meetings were successfully held – albeit virtually– serves as an important reminder about the value that all participants see ina multilateral approach to solving problems and enhanced cooperation at a timeof great uncertainty, he added.
This joint effort is reflected in the “ARF Statement on Infectious DiseaseOutbreaks”, which was endorsed by all participants and calls, among others, forenhanced regional and international solidarity and cooperation in addressingthe current pandemic and preventing future outbreaks.
According to the ambassador, the 27th ASEAN Regional Forum addressed importantregional and international security issues such as fight against terrorism andtransnational crimes, situation in the East Sea, and the Korean Peninsula.
The global pandemic has accelerated existing trends towards digitalisation of economiesand societies, which in turn bring to the fore the need for more cooperation ondeveloping international norms and guidelines for safeguarding cyber-security.This is a new and increasingly important area of work for the ARF.
It was the first time since the start of his mandate that EU HighRepresentative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrellparticipated in the ASEAN-EU Post-Ministerial Conference, Driesmans said, assessing in what turned out tobe a very fruitful meeting, both sides took stock of the width and depth ofEU-ASEAN relations ranging from countering transnational crime, maritime security,human rights, sustainable development and smart cities to trade, education, connectivity,cybersecurity, and narrowing the development gap.
He went on more specifically, the meeting addressed a broad range of currentissues such as EU-ASEAN cooperation to fight against COVID-19, in particularsupport from the EU for developing a comprehensive recovery framework andenhance collaboration for equitable access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines.
“Our key message is that the European Union continues to be areliable, trustworthy, and predictable partner of the region, the ambassadoraffirmed.
In addition to responding to the COVID-19 crisis and providing 800 million EURof Team Europe support to ASEAN countries, the EU emphasised the importance of lookingahead, he noted.
According to the diplomat, the EU stands ready to work with ASEAN partners inensuring fair and equitable access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines. The bloc willcontinue to support ASEAN’s efforts to achieve a prosperous, safe and unitedcommunity, as this brings lasting benefits to both regions.
In addition to maintaining its current supply lines, the EU look forward toaccelerating joint economic recovery by further strengthening trade andconnectivity with ASEAN. Trade facilitation, removal of tariff and non-tariffbarriers, and connectivity in all shapes and forms – physical infrastructure,transport, digital, and people-to-people exchanges – will be play key roles in thejoint post-COVID recovery. The EU is willing and able to deepen cooperation withASEAN to ensure that both sides are able to use the existing opportunities tothe fullest possible extent.
At the same time, regional and global challenges must not be ignored, hesaid. He added the EU noted the recent developments in the East Sea and as astaunch believer in international law and peaceful resolutions of conflicts,encouraged further progress in the negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the EastSea. “We look forward to its early conclusion in line with international law,particularly the 1982 UNCLOS.”
During the Post-Ministerial Conference, the EU voiced its strong support to amore enhanced role for ASEAN in addressing the situation in Rakhine State andfacilitating the repatriation process of the displaced persons, he said, addingthat the bloc is proud to have cosponsored the ASEAN Regional Forum Statementon the Treatment of Children Recruited by or Associated with Terrorist Groups.
Looking ahead, green economy,digitalisation in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and thefight against climate change will feature more and more prominently in thecooperation between the EU and ASEAN. The green agenda in particular remains atop priority for the EU and for our partnership with ASEAN, he stressed.
Commenting on Vietnam’s roleas the Chair of ASEAN 2020 through its performances achieved from the beginningof the year, the diplomat said Vietnam has successfully managed to host aseries of important ministerial meetings this year amid unprecedented challenges.
“While we have turned mostly online for now, we have been able over the pastfew months to maintain a good momentum in strengthening EU-ASEAN relations andreinforcing their strategic nature,” he emphasised.
Vietnam’sfocus on strengthening a cohesive and proactive ASEAN cannot be more relevant thanit is today, when the pandemic has provoked a global economic shock unlike anyother in recent history. Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship has successfully upheldthe spirit of solidarity, cooperation and the sense of responsibility towardsthe international community since the early days of this crisis.
Under the leadership of Vietnam, ASEAN has shown a real willingness to cometogether to find regional solutions and to mitigate the effects of this crisis,as illustrated by the Special ASEAN Summit on the Coronavirus Disease in April,he affirmed.
Ambassador Driesmans held that Vietnamhas also been able to reaffirm the centrality and unity of ASEAN by maintainingthe regular, substantive engagement between the region and its partners sincethe outbreak of the pandemic.
Looking ahead, EU-ASEAN relations will certainly continue to benefit from the stepstaken during this year of crisis, allowing the two regions to take theirstrategic partnership even further, he added./.
“Vietnam has successfully managed to host a series of important ministerialmeetings this year amid unprecedented challenges,” Ambassador Driesmans said inan interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents followingthe closing of the ministerial meetings.
The technical and logistical aspects of this undertaking are impressive, takinginto account the fact that the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) membership spans fourcontinents and multiple time zones, he said.
The 27th ARFand the ASEAN-EU Post-Ministerial Conference took place at a time when Europe,Southeast Asia, and the entire global community are facing the COVID-19pandemic. The fact that both meetings were successfully held – albeit virtually– serves as an important reminder about the value that all participants see ina multilateral approach to solving problems and enhanced cooperation at a timeof great uncertainty, he added.
This joint effort is reflected in the “ARF Statement on Infectious DiseaseOutbreaks”, which was endorsed by all participants and calls, among others, forenhanced regional and international solidarity and cooperation in addressingthe current pandemic and preventing future outbreaks.
According to the ambassador, the 27th ASEAN Regional Forum addressed importantregional and international security issues such as fight against terrorism andtransnational crimes, situation in the East Sea, and the Korean Peninsula.
The global pandemic has accelerated existing trends towards digitalisation of economiesand societies, which in turn bring to the fore the need for more cooperation ondeveloping international norms and guidelines for safeguarding cyber-security.This is a new and increasingly important area of work for the ARF.
It was the first time since the start of his mandate that EU HighRepresentative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrellparticipated in the ASEAN-EU Post-Ministerial Conference, Driesmans said, assessing in what turned out tobe a very fruitful meeting, both sides took stock of the width and depth ofEU-ASEAN relations ranging from countering transnational crime, maritime security,human rights, sustainable development and smart cities to trade, education, connectivity,cybersecurity, and narrowing the development gap.
He went on more specifically, the meeting addressed a broad range of currentissues such as EU-ASEAN cooperation to fight against COVID-19, in particularsupport from the EU for developing a comprehensive recovery framework andenhance collaboration for equitable access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines.
“Our key message is that the European Union continues to be areliable, trustworthy, and predictable partner of the region, the ambassadoraffirmed.
In addition to responding to the COVID-19 crisis and providing 800 million EURof Team Europe support to ASEAN countries, the EU emphasised the importance of lookingahead, he noted.
According to the diplomat, the EU stands ready to work with ASEAN partners inensuring fair and equitable access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines. The bloc willcontinue to support ASEAN’s efforts to achieve a prosperous, safe and unitedcommunity, as this brings lasting benefits to both regions.
In addition to maintaining its current supply lines, the EU look forward toaccelerating joint economic recovery by further strengthening trade andconnectivity with ASEAN. Trade facilitation, removal of tariff and non-tariffbarriers, and connectivity in all shapes and forms – physical infrastructure,transport, digital, and people-to-people exchanges – will be play key roles in thejoint post-COVID recovery. The EU is willing and able to deepen cooperation withASEAN to ensure that both sides are able to use the existing opportunities tothe fullest possible extent.
At the same time, regional and global challenges must not be ignored, hesaid. He added the EU noted the recent developments in the East Sea and as astaunch believer in international law and peaceful resolutions of conflicts,encouraged further progress in the negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the EastSea. “We look forward to its early conclusion in line with international law,particularly the 1982 UNCLOS.”
During the Post-Ministerial Conference, the EU voiced its strong support to amore enhanced role for ASEAN in addressing the situation in Rakhine State andfacilitating the repatriation process of the displaced persons, he said, addingthat the bloc is proud to have cosponsored the ASEAN Regional Forum Statementon the Treatment of Children Recruited by or Associated with Terrorist Groups.
Looking ahead, green economy,digitalisation in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and thefight against climate change will feature more and more prominently in thecooperation between the EU and ASEAN. The green agenda in particular remains atop priority for the EU and for our partnership with ASEAN, he stressed.
Commenting on Vietnam’s roleas the Chair of ASEAN 2020 through its performances achieved from the beginningof the year, the diplomat said Vietnam has successfully managed to host aseries of important ministerial meetings this year amid unprecedented challenges.
“While we have turned mostly online for now, we have been able over the pastfew months to maintain a good momentum in strengthening EU-ASEAN relations andreinforcing their strategic nature,” he emphasised.
Vietnam’sfocus on strengthening a cohesive and proactive ASEAN cannot be more relevant thanit is today, when the pandemic has provoked a global economic shock unlike anyother in recent history. Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship has successfully upheldthe spirit of solidarity, cooperation and the sense of responsibility towardsthe international community since the early days of this crisis.
Under the leadership of Vietnam, ASEAN has shown a real willingness to cometogether to find regional solutions and to mitigate the effects of this crisis,as illustrated by the Special ASEAN Summit on the Coronavirus Disease in April,he affirmed.
Ambassador Driesmans held that Vietnamhas also been able to reaffirm the centrality and unity of ASEAN by maintainingthe regular, substantive engagement between the region and its partners sincethe outbreak of the pandemic.
Looking ahead, EU-ASEAN relations will certainly continue to benefit from the stepstaken during this year of crisis, allowing the two regions to take theirstrategic partnership even further, he added./.
VNA
