Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh (second from left), Japanese PM Kishida Fumio (second from right) and other leaders at the 25th ASEAN - Japan Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 12. (Photo: VNA)At the events, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)and the partners reviewed bilateral cooperation in the recent past, set outdevelopment orientations for their relations, and discussed regional andinternational issues of common concern.
Japan, the US, and Canada stressed that they treasures relations with ASEAN;pledged to continue assisting the bloc in the community building and regionalintegration; supported ASEAN’s centrality; and promised to make responsible andconstructive contributions to ASEAN’s efforts to effectively respond to common challengesand promote the building of an open, inclusive, and transparent regionalarchitecture that upholds international law.
At the 25th ASEAN - Japan Summit, the ASEAN leaders and Japanese PM KishidaFumio applauded the strides in bilateral relations, noting that economiccooperation is a bright spot in the region’s recovery and sustainabledevelopment efforts.
PM Kishida emphasised that Japan attaches importance to the almost-five-decadepartnership with ASEAN; backs the association’s solidarity and centrality inthe regional architecture as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific(AOIP); and pledges to continue active participation in and effectivecontributions to the ASEAN-led mechanisms.
PM Chinh highly valued the importance of ASEAN’s relations with Japan – thefirst partner of the bloc, noting that their close and fruitful ties havebecome a role model of ASEAN’s cooperation with partners and substantiallycontributed to peace, security, stability, and prosperous development of eachside and the region as a whole.
Regarding orientations for bilateral relations in the coming time, he stressedthat economic, trade, and investment partnerships should be the basis,momentum, and priority amid the post-pandemic recovery.
The governments of the ASEAN countries have been creating optimal conditionsfor Japanese enterprises and investors to stabilise and expand production andbusiness activities, especially in supporting industries and high-techindustry. They also hoped that Japan will facilitate Vietnam and ASEAN’s exportof farm produce, and the diversification of supply chains, he added.
Proposing the two sides boost green, digital, and circular economydevelopment, he expressed his hope that Japan will help ASEAN step up justenergy transition, effectively respond to climate change, develop strategicinfrastructure, reinforce trading connectivity, and guarantee financial,energy, and food security.
The Vietnamese leader also recommended Japan and ASEAN to promote people-to-peopleties, cultural exchanges, and tourism; pay more attention to high-quality humanresource development; and provide favourable conditions for workers andapprentices from Vietnam and other ASEAN countries to work in the NortheastAsian nation.
US President Joe Biden at the 10th ASEAN - US Summit on November 12. (Photo: VNA)President Biden said the US attaches importance to its ties with ASEAN;supports the bloc’s centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific; wantsto work closely with ASEAN to step up the implementation of thefreshly-established comprehensive strategic partnership, and vows to cooperatewith the bloc to effectively respond to common challenges in the region and theworld.
He also announced an additional 850 million USD in aid for the ASEAN region in2023 to foster practical and effective cooperation between the two sides.
Welcoming the US’s strong commitments to ASEAN, PM Chinh suggested that amid aneconomic downturn in the region and the world, the two sides should prioritiseboosting bilateral trade and investment and speeding up post-pandemicsustainable recovery efforts.
He underlined Vietnam’s consistent viewpoint that all the best possiblemeasures will be taken to assist US investors and enterprises.
PM Chinh proposed the US, with its position, role, prestige, experience, andresources, help facilitate ASEAN’s exports to its market and assist the blocwith economic restructuring and development of digital economy and e-commerce.
The Vietnamese PM also highly evaluated the US’s important role and strongcommitments to promoting international solidarity and multilateralism, andjointly devising global solutions to global issues.
PM Chinh called on the US to increase assistance to ASEAN countries,including Vietnam, to improve medical resilience, epidemic response, andclimate change adaptation while promoting green growth, including just energytransition. He also urged the US to continue helping the bloc with sustainabledevelopment in the Mekong sub-region via the Mekong-US Partnership, includingstrengthening vulnerable communities’ resilience in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
PM Pham Minh Chinh (centre) at the ASEAN - Canada Commemorative Summit on November 12. (Photo: VNA)PM Trudeau affirmed that Canada is always a trustworthy partner of ASEAN andattaches importance to relations with the bloc. He noted ASEAN holds the centralposition in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which will be announced soon, andthat Canada wants to upgrade its ties with ASEAN to a strategic partnership.
Highlighting the progress in economic and trade links, participating leadersshared the view that there remains much room for developing bilateralrelations, and that in the short term, the two sides should focus on helpingeach other step up comprehensive recovery towards green and sustainabledevelopment.
They agreed to continue coordinating in the pandemic combat; improve medicalresilience; foster trade and investment connections; and strive to build anASEAN - Canada free trade agreement (FTA) that brings practical benefits toboth sides’ people and businesses; increase cooperation in the fight againstterrorism and transnational crimes; and boost partnerships in education -training and high-quality human resource development, infrastructuredevelopment, science - technology, digital transformation, natural disastermanagement, environmental protection, climate change response, and developmentgap narrowing.
In his remarks, PM Chinh voiced his support in principle for the upgrade of theASEAN - Canada relations to a strategic partnership.
He said the two sides should increase consultation, coordinate their stances onmany important issues, and make more responsible contributions to themaintenance of regional and global peace, security, stability, and development.They should also further tap into their own potential and advantages to meeturgent needs, recover after the pandemic, and develop sustainably.
The Vietnamese leader recommended that priority should be given to bolstering economic,trade, and investment ties, including effectively carrying out theComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)and boosting the FTA negotiations.
He called on Canadian enterprises to invest more in ASEAN and assist firms ofthe bloc to engage in global supply chains. He also asked the North Americannation to continue creating conditions for goods, including farm produce,aquatic products, and fruits from Vietnam and other ASEAN countries to enterits market.
The PM also called for stronger collaboration in education - training, and forthe Canadian Government’s continued provision of favourable conditions forpeople of the ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, to live, work, and study.
Discussing the international and regional situation at these summits, theleaders of ASEAN and the partners emphasised the importance of maintaining and safeguardingpeace, security, and stability in the region to create conditions for recoveryand sustainable development efforts.
The bloc asked the partners to support its principled stance on the East Seaand efforts to build an effective and practical code of conduct in the East Sea(COC) that is in line with international law and the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to turn the East Sea into a sea ofpeace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development.
Japan, the US, and Canada continued voicing their support for ASEAN’s role andefforts to promote dialogue, reconciliation, and assistance for Myanmar to seeksolutions to stabilise the situation.
Expressing their concerns about complex developments on the Korean Peninsula,especially recent missile tests, the ASEAN leaders affirmed their advocacy forefforts to promote peace, stability, and complete denuclearisation on thepeninsula. They stressed the bloc’s readiness to build and create favourableconditions for dialogue among the parties concerned at the ASEAN-ledmechanisms./.
VNA
