Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh speaks at the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The ASEAN-EU and ASEAN-IndiaMinisterial Meetings were held virtually on September 12 within the framework of the 53rd ASEANForeign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 53) and Related Meetings.
DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led the Vietnamese delegationto the meetings.
At the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting, both sidesemphasised the importance of the relationship between the two regional organisationsthat are considered the most successful. The two sides acknowledged thepositive progress in the bilateral cooperation in recent years, especially in theactive implementation of the ASEAN-EU Action Plan for the 2018-2022 period.
For many years, the EU has been the most importantpartner of ASEAN, especially in economic and development cooperation. The EU iscurrently the third largest trading partner of ASEAN with a two-way tradereaching 280 billion USD in 2019 and the third largest source of foreign investmentof ASEAN with a total volume of FDI hitting 16.2 billion USD last year.
At the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting
(Photo: VNA)
The ministers affirmed their strong commitment to strengthen the ASEAN-EU comprehensive cooperation relationship in the coming time,and continue promoting their "Partners in Integration" relationship. Thetwo sides welcomed the 22nd ASEAN-EU Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Belgium in January2019. They shared the view in principle on upgrading ASEAN-EU relations to the level of strategic partnership and agreed to formalise the upgrade soon.
The two sides agreed to continue effectivelycooperating in areas of mutual interest and strengths, including economy-trade,connectivity, transport, counter-terrorism, fighting transnational crime, cyber security,marine security and health care. Amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides agreed to work closely to supportcapacity building and response to the COVID-19 pandemic and promote recovery.
The EU is one of the first partners to coordinate withASEAN to successfully organise the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Online Conferenceon COVID-19 Epidemic Response on March 20, 2020. ASEAN highlyvalued the EU's announcement to mobilise a 800 million EUR assistance packagefor the ASEAN region to prevent and mitigate impacts of COVID-19.
Addressing the event, Vietnamese Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed that as ASEAN Chair 2020,Vietnam supported efforts to deepen ASEAN-EU relations, towards officiallyupgrading the bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership.
Strengthening connectivity plays an important rolein promoting economic recovery and maintaining growth, Minh said, and welcomedthe EU's proposal on the ASEAN-EU Joint Ministerial Statement on Connectivity andsupported promoting connectivity and complementary to the implementation of the MasterPlan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 andthe EU Connectivity Strategy.
At the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, the ministersnoted that despite complicated and unpredictable developments, especially thechallenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASEAN- India relations continue to makesignificant progress across all fields, including the implementation of theASEAN-India Action Plan 2016-2020.
India affirmed its relationship with ASEAN, emphasisingthat ASEAN plays a central role in India's Act East policy. ASEAN highlyappreciated India's commitment and active participation in ASEAN-led mechanismssuch as the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN DefenceMinisters Meeting (ADMM ) and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) as well as India's support for regional cooperation and ASEAN communitybuilding.
Participants at the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting (Photo: VNA)
The two sides agreed to promotecooperation in the areas of economy, trade and investment; maritimecooperation; counter-terrorism and fighting transnational crime; connectivity; science-technologyand innovation; natural disaster prevention, control and mitigation; climate changeresponse, cultural and people-to-people exchange, and narrowing development gaps.
Regarding response to COVID-19, India affirmed to support ASEAN in overcoming the pandemic's consequencesand promoting sustainable recovery and work closely with ASEAN in research andproduction of COVID-19 vaccines and treatment medicines.
ASEAN appreciated India's active supportfor regional cooperation, including capacity building, narrowing thedevelopment gaps, and earmarking one billion USD in credit to support projectsconnecting the two sides.
Addressing the event, Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh emphasised the importance of theASEAN-India strategic partnership and affirmed India as a reliable partnerand friend of ASEAN.
ASEAN and India should make efforts tostrengthen economic and trade connectivity, and maritime cooperation, while coordinatingto fully exploit the 1.8 billion-people market, and strengthening cooperation toachieve two-way trade turnover of 200 billion USD by 2022, Minh said.
He also affirmed the importance ofIndia's participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)and emphasised that the RCEP Agreement is always open to India.
In both events, the ministers exchanged views on worldand regional issues of common interest. Regarding the East Sea, the ministerscontinue emphasising the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security,safety, freedom of navigation and aviation; not militarising; avoiding actsthat further complicate the situation, and settling disputes in line withinternational law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.
The meetings supportedthe full and effective implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of Partiesin the East Sea (DOC), and early finalisation of an effective and efficientCode of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, includingthe 1982 UNCLOS.
The EU emphasised the need torespect international law, refrain from tense actions and militarisation, andsupport efforts to build laws governing behavior in the region.
India informed the ASEAN countries ofthe Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. The EU welcomed ASEAN to play its role inpromoting cooperation, dialogue, building trust in the region, supportingefforts to seriously and fully implement the DOC and develop an effective COCin accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.
At the meetings, Minh highly appreciated the support of the partners for ASEAN's efforts toparticipate in ensuring peace, security, stability and navigation and aviationin the East Sea.
He reaffirmed ASEAN's principled position andemphasised the need to strengthen trust building, avoid militarisation and acts that erodetrust and complicate the situation, andsettle disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS,continue the full and effective implementation of DOC, and early finalisation ofan effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordancewith international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS, contributing to peace, security,stability in the East Sea and the region.
Following the two meetings, Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chaired an international press conference,announcing the outcomes of AMM 53 and Related Meetings. ASEAN Secretary-GeneralLim Jock Hoi attended the online press conference./.
At the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting, both sidesemphasised the importance of the relationship between the two regional organisationsthat are considered the most successful. The two sides acknowledged thepositive progress in the bilateral cooperation in recent years, especially in theactive implementation of the ASEAN-EU Action Plan for the 2018-2022 period.
For many years, the EU has been the most importantpartner of ASEAN, especially in economic and development cooperation. The EU iscurrently the third largest trading partner of ASEAN with a two-way tradereaching 280 billion USD in 2019 and the third largest source of foreign investmentof ASEAN with a total volume of FDI hitting 16.2 billion USD last year.
At the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (Photo: VNA)
The ministers affirmed their strong commitment to strengthen the ASEAN-EU comprehensive cooperation relationship in the coming time,and continue promoting their "Partners in Integration" relationship. Thetwo sides welcomed the 22nd ASEAN-EU Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Belgium in January2019. They shared the view in principle on upgrading ASEAN-EU relations to the level of strategic partnership and agreed to formalise the upgrade soon.
The two sides agreed to continue effectivelycooperating in areas of mutual interest and strengths, including economy-trade,connectivity, transport, counter-terrorism, fighting transnational crime, cyber security,marine security and health care. Amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides agreed to work closely to supportcapacity building and response to the COVID-19 pandemic and promote recovery.
The EU is one of the first partners to coordinate withASEAN to successfully organise the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Online Conferenceon COVID-19 Epidemic Response on March 20, 2020. ASEAN highlyvalued the EU's announcement to mobilise a 800 million EUR assistance packagefor the ASEAN region to prevent and mitigate impacts of COVID-19.
Addressing the event, Vietnamese Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed that as ASEAN Chair 2020,Vietnam supported efforts to deepen ASEAN-EU relations, towards officiallyupgrading the bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership.
Strengthening connectivity plays an important rolein promoting economic recovery and maintaining growth, Minh said, and welcomedthe EU's proposal on the ASEAN-EU Joint Ministerial Statement on Connectivity andsupported promoting connectivity and complementary to the implementation of the MasterPlan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 andthe EU Connectivity Strategy.
At the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, the ministersnoted that despite complicated and unpredictable developments, especially thechallenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASEAN- India relations continue to makesignificant progress across all fields, including the implementation of theASEAN-India Action Plan 2016-2020.
India affirmed its relationship with ASEAN, emphasisingthat ASEAN plays a central role in India's Act East policy. ASEAN highlyappreciated India's commitment and active participation in ASEAN-led mechanismssuch as the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN DefenceMinisters Meeting (ADMM ) and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) as well as India's support for regional cooperation and ASEAN communitybuilding.
Participants at the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting (Photo: VNA) The two sides agreed to promotecooperation in the areas of economy, trade and investment; maritimecooperation; counter-terrorism and fighting transnational crime; connectivity; science-technologyand innovation; natural disaster prevention, control and mitigation; climate changeresponse, cultural and people-to-people exchange, and narrowing development gaps.
Regarding response to COVID-19, India affirmed to support ASEAN in overcoming the pandemic's consequencesand promoting sustainable recovery and work closely with ASEAN in research andproduction of COVID-19 vaccines and treatment medicines.
ASEAN appreciated India's active supportfor regional cooperation, including capacity building, narrowing thedevelopment gaps, and earmarking one billion USD in credit to support projectsconnecting the two sides.
Addressing the event, Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh emphasised the importance of theASEAN-India strategic partnership and affirmed India as a reliable partnerand friend of ASEAN.
ASEAN and India should make efforts tostrengthen economic and trade connectivity, and maritime cooperation, while coordinatingto fully exploit the 1.8 billion-people market, and strengthening cooperation toachieve two-way trade turnover of 200 billion USD by 2022, Minh said.
He also affirmed the importance ofIndia's participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)and emphasised that the RCEP Agreement is always open to India.
In both events, the ministers exchanged views on worldand regional issues of common interest. Regarding the East Sea, the ministerscontinue emphasising the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security,safety, freedom of navigation and aviation; not militarising; avoiding actsthat further complicate the situation, and settling disputes in line withinternational law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.
The meetings supportedthe full and effective implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of Partiesin the East Sea (DOC), and early finalisation of an effective and efficientCode of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, includingthe 1982 UNCLOS.
The EU emphasised the need torespect international law, refrain from tense actions and militarisation, andsupport efforts to build laws governing behavior in the region.
India informed the ASEAN countries ofthe Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. The EU welcomed ASEAN to play its role inpromoting cooperation, dialogue, building trust in the region, supportingefforts to seriously and fully implement the DOC and develop an effective COCin accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.
At the meetings, Minh highly appreciated the support of the partners for ASEAN's efforts toparticipate in ensuring peace, security, stability and navigation and aviationin the East Sea.
He reaffirmed ASEAN's principled position andemphasised the need to strengthen trust building, avoid militarisation and acts that erodetrust and complicate the situation, andsettle disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS,continue the full and effective implementation of DOC, and early finalisation ofan effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordancewith international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS, contributing to peace, security,stability in the East Sea and the region.
Following the two meetings, Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chaired an international press conference,announcing the outcomes of AMM 53 and Related Meetings. ASEAN Secretary-GeneralLim Jock Hoi attended the online press conference./.
VNA
