The online meeting Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy ForeignMinister and head of the ASEAN SOM Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung and Japanese DeputyForeign Minister Mori Takeo co-chaired the 36th ASEAN – Japan Forumon May 27.
Speaking at the event,Dung highlighted the importance of the ASEAN – Japan strategic partnership topeace, security and prosperity in the region, and stressed thatboth sides need to continue working closely together to cope with the pandemicand propel sustainable recovery.
According to him,ASEAN and Japan should enhance joint work to maintain trade, investment andsupply chain connectivity to overcome impacts of the pandemic and boost recovery.
He wished that Japanwould continue supporting efforts to narrow development gap, promote even andsustainable development in the ASEAN Community, increase connectivity between sub-regions, including Mekong, with ASEAN’s common developmentprocess.
On ASEAN and Japan’sefforts to cope with challenges threatening regional stability and development,Dung proposed both sides work closely together to ensure regional peace,security and prosperity via ASEAN-led mechanisms, promote rules-based regionalorder, uphold international law and peacefully settle disputes.
The Vietnamesedeputy minister also reiterated ASEAN’s principled stance on the East Sea issueand wished that Japan would continue backing the bloc’s efforts to build theEast Sea into waters of peace, friendship and cooperation as well as ASEAN’srole in supporting Myanmar.
At the event (Photo: VNA) The Japanese official, for his part,affirmed that Japan treasures its strategic partnership with ASEAN, supports ASEAN’scentral role in regional architecture and the ASEAN Outlook on theIndo-Pacific.
Japan wants tocontinue promoting its comprehensive partnership with ASEAN in all four pillars - Partners for Peace and Stability,Partners for Prosperity, Partners for Quality of Life and Heart-to-HeartPartners, Mori said.
Heinformed that Japan plans to hold a special commemorative ASEAN – Japan Summit in 2023 on the occasionof the 50th anniversary of bilateral dialogue relations.
TheJapanese side pledged to continue helping ASEAN member states improve thecapacity of coping with the pandemic and coordinate with ASEAN to ensure even and effective vaccinesupply and distribution in the region and the world.
ASEANofficials hailed Japan for contributing 1 million USD to the ASEAN COVID-19response fund, and 50 million USD to help the establishment of the ASEAN Centrefor Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases. They suggestedJapan assist the bloc in setting up a regional reserve warehouse of medicalsupplies and embark on a comprehensive recovery plan.
BothASEAN and Japan agreed to work closely together to cope with the pandemic andeffectively implement the revised plan to realise the 2018-2022 VisionStatement for sustainable step-by-step recovery.
Japan laid emphasis on trade and investment, supply chainconnectivity, trans-national crime prevention, environmental protection and marine waste prevention.
The countryexpressed support for ASEAN’s principled stance on the East Sea issue and hailedASEAN for upholding its role in promoting cooperation, dialogue and buildingtrust in the region, ensuring full and effective implementation of theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea towards achieving an substantial and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line withinternational law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Japan also laudedthe outcomes of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on April 24 and vowed to support ASEAN’srole in promoting dialogue, reconciliation and assisting Myanmar in seekingsolutions to stabilising the situation./.
