The 11th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting wrapped up in New Delhi, India on November 12 after two days of sitting.

The meeting adopted the President Statement with a number of important decisions on cooperative directions and programmes of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum in the time to come, passed 16 new initiatives proposed by its member countries, established 12 cooperation groups and put forth preparations for admitting Croatia into the forum.

During the meeting, delegates exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. They affirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and ensuring maritime freedom, security and safety in order to recover the economy and deal with global challenges.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc affirmed that urgent issues are now strengthening strategic trust, establishing a code of conduct, creating transparency in the relationship between nations and intensifying the reached principles on solving all disputes through peaceful negotiations, in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Within the framework of the meeting, Ngoc held bilateral meetings with delegation heads from India, Germany, the UK, France, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Holland, Poland, Ireland, Bangladesh, Norway and Switzerland.

They affirmed that their countries attach importance to ties with Vietnam and will further strengthen friendship and cooperation with the country.-VNA