Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (L) meets with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 11. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)Kao appreciated Vietnam’s contributions to the ASEANCommunity and the ASEAN Secretariat.
He expressed his hope to continue receiving the country’ssupport for his performance of the Secretary-General’s duties, especially incontributing to the maintenance of peace, stability, and prosperity of theASEAN Community and to the bloc’s relations with partners.
Emphasising that Vietnam attaches importance to the role ofASEAN and the Secretary-General, Minister Son voiced his belief that under Kao’sleadership, the role of the ASEAN Secretariat will be promoted continually.
Vietnam will coordinate closely with other ASEAN members andthe Secretariat in strengthening the bloc’s cooperation mechanisms andASEAN-led ones so that ASEAN will operate in an increasingly efficient mannerand adapt to the new situation, he noted.
The official also suggested the Secretariat pay moreattention to boosting substantive and effective ties with partners, thuspractically helping with the solidarity, unanimity, connectivity, andcentrality of ASEAN.
At the meeting, the two sides shared the view that amid the fastchanging international and regional situation, to continue bringing into playthe role and stature of ASEAN, the Secretariat should assist in stepping updialogue and cooperation with partners.
Son heldthat to maintain the bloc’s role as a growth driver of the region in the comingdecades, ASEAN should build a strong economic pillar, mobilise resources frommembers, and capitalise on partners’ attention to and resources for the regionto foster economic, investment, and tourism partnerships, thus substantivelycontributing to regional development and prosperity./.
VNA
