The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the EuropeanUnion (EU) agreed to develop their ties into a strategic partnership attheir 20th Ministerial Meeting in Belgium on July 22-23, co-hosted byVietnam and the EU for the first time.
Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and EU Commissar for Foreign andSecurity Policy and Vice President of the European Commission CatherineAshton co-chaired the event.
To realise the vision, both sideswill increase political-security dialogues and consultations atregional and global forums in order to further promote their voice, roleand contributions to peace, stability and development in the region andthe world.
On the economic front, they will lift two-way tradeby boosting aviation, navigation and road connectivity, as well asresume negotiations for their free trade agreement beyond 2015.
In the meantime, ministerial-level economic consultations will becomemore regular while the 2013-2014 Action Plan on Trade and Investmentwill be brought to its best efficiency.
ASEAN suggested the EU popularise its potential of trade and investment among EU member nations.
About the building of an integrated ASEAN Community, the EU pledgedassistance to the process via its experience. The union has established acooperation mechanism with ASEAN in connecting its members through theMaster Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.
The EU will double itsdevelopment assistance to ASEAN to 170 million EUR for 2014-2020, muchhigher than 70 million EUR for 2007-2013. They will focus on effectivelyrealising the Plan of Action to Implement Nuremberg Declaration on anEnhanced ASEAN-EU Partnership in 2013-3017.
Discussing issuesof shared interest, ministers expressed their deep concern over thecurrent complicated tension in the East Sea and stressed the importanceof maintaining peace and stability in the region as well as promotingsecurity, maritime and aviation safety and freedom, and trade in thesea.
Parties concerned were urged to exercise restraint, avoiduse of or threat to use force so as to peacefully settle disputes inline with international law, especially the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea.
They were also asked to fullyand effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties inthe East Se (DOC) towards the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct inthe East Sea (COC).
As regards to the MH17 plane crash, ASEANand EU issued a joint statement asking for a full investigation andbringing offenders to the light.
In his opening speech,Deputy PM Minh said ASEAN welcomes the EU’s joining of the Treaty ofAmity and Cooperation and its assistance for the bloc in building theCommunity by 2015.
To bring bilateral ties forward, he urgedASEAN and the EU to deal with existing challenges to build trust andensure peace and stability in the region.
He praised the EUfor issuing its Declaration on the East Sea, which expressed its deepconcern over the recent developments threatening security, safety andfreedom of navigation in the East Sea after China illegally placed itsoil rig in Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
Minh suggested ASEAN and the EU promote their voice and role inhighlighting principles on peacefully settling disputes, exerciserestraint, avoid the use or threat to use force, seriously comply withinternational law and the 1982 UNCLOS as well as fully and effectivelyimplementing the DOC.
The meeting also spoke highly of Vietnam’s role as a coordinator for the ASEAN-EU relations since 2012.-VNA
Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and EU Commissar for Foreign andSecurity Policy and Vice President of the European Commission CatherineAshton co-chaired the event.
To realise the vision, both sideswill increase political-security dialogues and consultations atregional and global forums in order to further promote their voice, roleand contributions to peace, stability and development in the region andthe world.
On the economic front, they will lift two-way tradeby boosting aviation, navigation and road connectivity, as well asresume negotiations for their free trade agreement beyond 2015.
In the meantime, ministerial-level economic consultations will becomemore regular while the 2013-2014 Action Plan on Trade and Investmentwill be brought to its best efficiency.
ASEAN suggested the EU popularise its potential of trade and investment among EU member nations.
About the building of an integrated ASEAN Community, the EU pledgedassistance to the process via its experience. The union has established acooperation mechanism with ASEAN in connecting its members through theMaster Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.
The EU will double itsdevelopment assistance to ASEAN to 170 million EUR for 2014-2020, muchhigher than 70 million EUR for 2007-2013. They will focus on effectivelyrealising the Plan of Action to Implement Nuremberg Declaration on anEnhanced ASEAN-EU Partnership in 2013-3017.
Discussing issuesof shared interest, ministers expressed their deep concern over thecurrent complicated tension in the East Sea and stressed the importanceof maintaining peace and stability in the region as well as promotingsecurity, maritime and aviation safety and freedom, and trade in thesea.
Parties concerned were urged to exercise restraint, avoiduse of or threat to use force so as to peacefully settle disputes inline with international law, especially the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea.
They were also asked to fullyand effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties inthe East Se (DOC) towards the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct inthe East Sea (COC).
As regards to the MH17 plane crash, ASEANand EU issued a joint statement asking for a full investigation andbringing offenders to the light.
In his opening speech,Deputy PM Minh said ASEAN welcomes the EU’s joining of the Treaty ofAmity and Cooperation and its assistance for the bloc in building theCommunity by 2015.
To bring bilateral ties forward, he urgedASEAN and the EU to deal with existing challenges to build trust andensure peace and stability in the region.
He praised the EUfor issuing its Declaration on the East Sea, which expressed its deepconcern over the recent developments threatening security, safety andfreedom of navigation in the East Sea after China illegally placed itsoil rig in Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
Minh suggested ASEAN and the EU promote their voice and role inhighlighting principles on peacefully settling disputes, exerciserestraint, avoid the use or threat to use force, seriously comply withinternational law and the 1982 UNCLOS as well as fully and effectivelyimplementing the DOC.
The meeting also spoke highly of Vietnam’s role as a coordinator for the ASEAN-EU relations since 2012.-VNA
