Officials pose for a photo at the meeting in Da Nang city on March 8 (Photo: VNA)Da Nang (VNA) – A preparatory senior economic officials' meeting forthe 26th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat (PREP-SEOM for the 26th AEM Retreat)was held in Da Nang city on March 8.
The highlight of the PREP-SEOM was 13 priorities proposed by Vietnam – the ASEANChair in 2020. The priorities will be discussed at the 26th AEM Retreat beforereaching consensus for key tasks for implementation in this year.
The priorities are based on three main orientations, namely promoting connectionand economic connectivity in ASEAN, enhancing partnership for peace andsustainable development and raising adaptation capacity and operational effectivenessof ASEAN.
Earlier on March 7, with the complicated developments of the COVID-19, theVietnamese delegation proposed that ASEAN should jointly work to maintain thesupply chain in the grouping, creating conditions for supporting material supplysources for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, in thecontext that the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted both human health and the economyin the region and the world.
At the PREP-SEOM, participants discussed a series of important issues to reportto the 26th AEM Retreat, such as discussing and adopting initiatives andpriorities of Vietnam in ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020; reviewing and reachingconsensus on ASEAN’s annual priorities for this year; and seeking measures forexisting problems in intra-ASEAN cooperation as well as collaboration betweenASEAN and its partners, among others.
Over the past years, Vietnam has participated in building the ASEAN EconomicCommunity (AEC) in an active, proactive and responsible manner, and promotingthe implementation of commitments to form the AEC has been one of Vietnam’s toppriorities./.
VNA
