ASEAN should work to raise its intra-bloc trade andinvestment, turning itself into an epicentre of growth, he said, noting cooperationstrategies to 2045 need an inclusive, comprehensive, and creative approach.
On this occasion, the minister invited countries toattend an ASEAN forum on rapid and sustainable development with the people taken asthe centre to be hosted by Vietnam.
Son affirmed Vietnam’s support for Laos’s ASEANChairmanship, and that the country will participate in and contribute toupcoming events like the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne,Australia, and the 24th EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Belgium.
The official also proposed ASEAN maintain its solidarityand consensus, and uphold its independence and self-reliance.
Son and other delegates reiterated ASEAN’s commonprincipled stance on the East Sea, and called on the grouping to persistentlysupport Myanmar.
ASEAN needs to maintain a balanced and objectiveapproach, and raise its position and voice on issues relating to peace,security, stability and sustainable development in the region and beyond, hecontinued.
The participating ministers pledged to back andcoordinate during the implementation of ASEAN priorities with the two centralelements of “self-reliance” and “connectivity”.
They agreed with directions to accelerate the recoveryand connection of economies, and consented to focus on sustainable andinclusive development, foster digital transformation, strengthen the capacityof the health system, protect the environment, respond to climate change,enhance culture and art cooperation, and promote the role and contributions ofwomen and children.
The ministersexpressed their wish to build the East Sea of peace, stability, cooperation, andprosperity, and committed to the full and effective implementation of the Declarationon the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), towards a substantive,effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law,including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./.