Foreign ministers of Asia and Europe concluded their 10 th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM) in Hungary, on June 7 with a statement from the Chair that focused on important decisions on cooperation directions and programmes for the forum.
The meeting agreed that ASEM had posted significant achievements, manifested through the increasing number of members and many countries wanting to join the forum.
It also agreed to organise the ninth ASEM Summit in Laos in 2012 and the 11 th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in India in 2013 and prepared for meetings of transport, environment and economic ministers.
The ministers decided to set up an “ASEM Meeting Presidents’ Support Group” and adopted measures to raise the efficiency in coordinating ASEM activities.
The two-day meeting conducted five discussions on common interests on international and regional situations, as well as the ASEM cooperation process.
At the discussions, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister -cum-Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem said that cooperation continued to be the decisive trend in international relations at different levels, but changes in the world and in global challenges and unsustainable economic recovery are impacting on humankind, making both international and regional situations more complex.
Regarding the situation in Southeast Asia, the Deputy PM affirmed that maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and the East Sea is the common interest of regional and non-regional countries.
Concerned parties need to abide by international law and agreed rules of conduct, to ensure peace and stability in the region and friendship and cooperation between countries, he said.
He proposed concrete measures to strengthen cooperation and raise the international role of ASEM, including in key areas such as climate change forecasting and early disaster warning, sea level rise, mitigation of climate change impacts on agriculture and eco-environment, establishment of an information network, and coordination in ensuring marine safety and security, as well as cooperation in sustainable management, exploitation and use of rivers running through many territories.
The meeting applauded Vietnam ’s future hosting of the fourth ASEM Labour and Employment Ministers’ Conference in 2012 and an unofficial ASEM human rights workshop in 2014, he added.
On this occasion, Deputy PM Khiem met with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Catherine Ashton, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Belgium Steven Vanackere, and the foreign ministers of host Hungary , Japan , Indonesia and Singapore .
They focused their discussions on measures to boost bilateral relations and coordination in international and regional issues of common concern.
The meeting agreed that ASEM had posted significant achievements, manifested through the increasing number of members and many countries wanting to join the forum.
It also agreed to organise the ninth ASEM Summit in Laos in 2012 and the 11 th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in India in 2013 and prepared for meetings of transport, environment and economic ministers.
The ministers decided to set up an “ASEM Meeting Presidents’ Support Group” and adopted measures to raise the efficiency in coordinating ASEM activities.
The two-day meeting conducted five discussions on common interests on international and regional situations, as well as the ASEM cooperation process.
At the discussions, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister -cum-Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem said that cooperation continued to be the decisive trend in international relations at different levels, but changes in the world and in global challenges and unsustainable economic recovery are impacting on humankind, making both international and regional situations more complex.
Regarding the situation in Southeast Asia, the Deputy PM affirmed that maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and the East Sea is the common interest of regional and non-regional countries.
Concerned parties need to abide by international law and agreed rules of conduct, to ensure peace and stability in the region and friendship and cooperation between countries, he said.
He proposed concrete measures to strengthen cooperation and raise the international role of ASEM, including in key areas such as climate change forecasting and early disaster warning, sea level rise, mitigation of climate change impacts on agriculture and eco-environment, establishment of an information network, and coordination in ensuring marine safety and security, as well as cooperation in sustainable management, exploitation and use of rivers running through many territories.
The meeting applauded Vietnam ’s future hosting of the fourth ASEM Labour and Employment Ministers’ Conference in 2012 and an unofficial ASEM human rights workshop in 2014, he added.
On this occasion, Deputy PM Khiem met with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Catherine Ashton, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Belgium Steven Vanackere, and the foreign ministers of host Hungary , Japan , Indonesia and Singapore .
They focused their discussions on measures to boost bilateral relations and coordination in international and regional issues of common concern.
The ministers highly valued Vietnam ’s position in the international arena, particularly its success in the role of the ASEAN Chair in 2010, and affirmed their desires to boost relations with Vietnam. /.
