ASEAN-US Joint Cooperation Committee convenes 11th meeting

 

Jakarta (VNA) – Head of the Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to ASEAN, Ambassador Tran Duc Binh attended the 11th meeting of the ASEAN – US Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) in Jakarta on February 14.

The annual meeting aimed to review the implementation of projects and cooperation programmes within the framework of the ASEAN – US strategic partnership.

Both sides spoke highly of important progress in bilateral strategic partnership over the past years, as well as the implementation of contents under the ASEAN – US Plan of Action for the 2016-2020 period.

Education and training cooperation programmes such as the ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders’ Initiative, Fulbright scholarships and training courses for Lower Mekong Initiative countries contributed to assisting ASEAN member countries in improving the capacity of tapping opportunities from the fourth industrial revolution, participants heard.

ASEAN member countries lauded the US for joint work with the bloc in the fields of maritime and cyber security, trans-national challenges such as terrorism and natural disasters, as well as regional cooperation mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus, and the East Asia Summit.

The US side affirmed appreciation for cooperation with ASEAN and its important position in the Indo-Pacific strategy based on the principles of freedom, transparency, law compliance, as well as ASEAN’s central role and ASEAN-led mechanisms.

In the near future, the US will continue intensifying collaboration with ASEAN via building the ASEAN – US Plan of Action for the 2021 – 2025 period, the ASEAN-USAID Partnership for Regional Optimisation with the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Communities, and the USAID Inclusive Growth in ASEAN through Innovation, Trade and E-Commerce project.

The US committed further support for ASEAN’s efforts and role in the negotiations of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea with China, ensuring maritime security and safety, peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Chargé d’Affaires at the US Mission to ASEAN Melisa Brown hailed the theme “Cohesive and Responsive” and priorities during set by Vietnam for its ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020.

The US will actively support Vietnam to shoulder the role of the chair and orientations to ASEAN – US cooperation programmes to realise such priorities, especially those regarding human resources development, digital economy and sustainable development, she said./.