Ambasadors joining in the 8th meeting of the ASEAN-New Zealand Joint Cooperation Committee on June 25 (Photo: Vietnam's permanent mission to ASEAN) Jakarta (VNA) – ASEAN and New Zealandreiterated the commitment to further intensify their strategic partnershipduring the teleconferenced eighth meeting of the ASEAN-New Zealand JointCooperation Committee on June 25.
This was an annual meeting at the ambassadorlevel to review and discuss measures for promoting ASEAN-New Zealandcooperation. Ambassador Tran Duc Binh, head of Vietnam’s permanent mission toASEAN, took part in the event.
Participants highly valued the two sides’ recentachievements in carrying out cooperation activities in the spheres ofpolitics-security, economy, trade, investment, tourism, training, culture, andpeople-to-people exchange.
New Zealand is currently the 10th largest tradepartner and investor of ASEAN, with bilateral trade reaching 10.3 billion USDin 2018. It is also one of the six dialogue partners of the bloc taking part inthe Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The countries highlighted positive results inthe implementation of the ASEAN-New Zealand Plan of Action for 2016-2020,noting that all the 59 action lines in the plan have been carried out, showingthe multifaceted and sound cooperation between the two sides.
Cooperation activities and projects have allbeen substantive and highly fruitful, helping ASEAN to realise the ASEANCommunity building targets, enhance connectivity, narrow development gap,develop human resources, boost cooperation among the Mekong countries, andimprove capacity and cooperation in dealing with challenges like naturaldisaster management and response, terrorism, cyber security, and maritimesecurity, according to the ambassadors.
New Zealand highly valued ASEAN countries’cooperation efforts, initiatives and response measures in the face of theCOVID-19 pandemic, including the establishment of the COVID-19 ASEAN ResponseFund and the Hanoi Plan of Action on Strengthening ASEAN Economic Cooperationand Supply Chain Connectivity in Response to the COVID-19.
Recently, New Zealand has granted ASEANcountries with 10 million USD to cope with epidemics and will continueproviding them with another 27 million USD for response and post-pandemicrecovery efforts.
Both ASEAN and New Zealand agreed to increase sharinginformation and experience in responding to epidemics, promote investment andtrade, and maintain supply chains and regional connectivity.
Participants in the meeting said the two sideswill shortly finalise a plan of action for 2021-2025 and enhance cooperation inareas of common concern.
New Zealand will continue assisting ASEANcountries to realise the Sustainable Development Goals and boost thecomplementarity between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the 2030 UN Agendafor Sustainable Development.
Both sides also agreed to press on with fullyimplementing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and activelypromote the signing of the RCEP.
New Zealand stressed the importance it attachesto the relations with ASEAN and pledged to support the bloc’s centrality in theregion and actively participate in ASEAN-led regional mechanisms like the EastAsia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ MeetingPlus, and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
The country also affirmed that it will keepcoordinating with the grouping to prepare for a summit commemorating 45 yearsof the ASEAN-New Zealand dialogue partnership that is set to take place on thesidelines of the 37th ASEAN Summit in Vietnam this November./.
VNA
