Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (centre) and foreign ministers of other ASEAN countries and the US at the virtual meeting on July 14 (Photo: VNA) ASEAN and the US affirmed that they attachimportance to and pledge to enhance the bilateral partnership, especially amidthe serious challenges negatively affecting people’s life, development,security, and stability of countries in the region.
ASEAN countries reiterated their message to thenew administration of the US, which is making long-term commitments to theregion, upholding multilateralism and international law, making efforts tocontrol disease outbreaks, promoting recovery, and responding to climatechange.
They welcomed the US’ continued support for thebloc’s centrality in maintaining dialogue; intensification of cooperation; andjoining efforts to build an open, inclusive, and law-based regionalarchitecture and to effectively deal with challenges.
Blinken emphasised the Biden administration’scommitment to multilateralism, affirming that the US always attaches importance to its relations with ASEAN,supports the bloc’s centrality, and will pay attention to fostering a dynamicand effective strategic partnership with ASEAN on the basis of mutual respectand mutual benefits.
He noted that the US will keep taking the leadin stepping up global efforts against COVID-19.
The country has donated 2 billion USD of thecommitted 4 billion USD, andpledged to supply 500 million vaccine doses for the COVAX Facility. It is working to supportcountries around the world, including ASEAN nations, with 80 million doses. Ithas also earmarked 96 million USD for helping the regional countries improvetheir pandemic response capacity, according to the State Secretary.
He also proposed several orientations for theASEAN - US cooperation in such fields as energy, transport, women empowerment,environment, and climate change response on the basis of even and sustainablerecovery efforts across the region.
Both ASEAN and the US shared the view that thereare many latent and complex challenges in the region and the world, agreeing toboost consultation, dialogue, and cooperation, particularly at the forumschaired and led by ASEAN, so as to help maintain regional peace, stability, andsecurity.
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attends the meeting on July 14 (Photo: VNA) They also highlighted their expectation for theearly finalisation of an efficient and effective Code of Conduct in the EastSea (COC) that matches international law and the 1982 United Nations Conventionon the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and respects and appropriately mentions therights and legitimate interests of the relevant parties.
Reviewing the Myanmar situation, the US highlyvalued ASEAN’s recent steps to assist Myanmar to return to normal. It alsovoiced support for the bloc to successfully implement the “Five-PointConsensus” reached at the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting in April 2021.
Addressing the meeting, Vietnamese ForeignMinister Bui Thanh Son underlined the importance of the ASEAN - US strategicpartnership to the cooperation, development, peace, and stability in theregion.
He applauded the role and contributions of the US to global COVID-19 responseefforts, its vaccine provision for countries in the region, including Vietnam,as well as its support for the temporary waiver of vaccine patents within theWTO framework.
ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, are ready tocreate optimal conditions for US enterprises to expand investment and businessin their markets amid a pandemic-triggered shift in trade and investment flows,Son said.
The minister expressed his hope that the US willactively assist ASEAN to narrow the development gap, promote development insub-regions, and connect the Mekong - US ties with the common development ofASEAN.
As the region is facing many major and complexchallenges, countries need to uphold their sense of responsibility, maintaindialogue, and reinforce cooperation to concurrently guarantee peace andstability and secure successful recovery, he went on.
The minister called on the US to keep closecoordination with the bloc at the forums established and led by ASEAN, therebycreating a favourable environment for the formation of a rules-based regionalarchitecture.
In terms of the East Sea issue, Son emphasisedthe role of international law, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and themaintenance of a peaceful, stable, and favourable environment for development.
He stressed ASEAN’s principled stance on the EastSea, asking the US to continue playing a constructive role, supporting ASEAN’sefforts to sustain peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflightin the East Sea, and advocating the bloc’s endeavours to help seek solutions tothe Myanmar situation./.
VNA
