PM meets world leaders on ASEAN Summit sidelines

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met world leaders in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 21 on the sidelines of the 27th ASEAN Summit and related meetings.

In his meeting with US President Barack Obama, PM Dung affirmed that Vietnam wishes to strengthen its strategic partnership with the US and urged the US to make more active contributions to maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region, including the East Sea.

Obama said the countries should work closely together to adopt and effectively materialise the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal.

On the East Sea issue, the US President said his country supports Vietnam’s stance, and called on Vietnam and ASEAN member countries to have a common voice and increase coordination to settle disputes by peaceful means in line with international law and regional agreements.

The US President also accepted an invitation to visit Vietnam in the near future.

Meeting his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, the Vietnamese leader said he expects Russia to promptly ratify the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement.

They agreed to direct relevant agencies to organise the upcoming meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee and set the agenda for next year, including the accelerating large-scale projects on nuclear power, oil and gas, and automobile assembling.

Regarding the East Sea issue, Medvedev emphasised that in order to peacefully settle disputes, concerned parties should abide by international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In a conversation with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, the Vietnamese PM hailed Australia as one of Vietnam’s top trade and investment partners, and requested help as Vietnam seeks to export farm produce and seafood to Australia.

Turnbull said he hopes Vietnam’s mangos and dragon fruits will be available in Australia later this year.

Turning to regional and global issues of shared concern, the two PMs pledged close ties to effectively realise the Asia-Pacific Leaders’ Malaria Alliance. They also stressed the importance of abiding by international law, including the UNCLOS, and refraining from the use or threat of force in the East Sea.

In another meeting, PM Dung and Indonesian President Joko Widodo discussed measures to intensify partnerships and dialogues in the fields of politics, diplomacy, trade, investment, national defence-security and maritime cooperation.

The Vietnamese leader asked the Indonesian government to settle issues with Vietnamese fishermen in a humanitarian spirit.

The two leaders stressed the significance of maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, respecting principles of international law, and fully and effectively realising the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea toward reaching a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Discussing cooperation in labour and fishing with his Thai counterpart Prayuth Chan-ocha, the PM called for a Memorandum of Understanding on labour cooperation and support for Vietnamese workers in Thailand.

He suggested the two Foreign Ministries establish a mechanism to discuss issues related to fishing.-VNA