Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attends the 13th East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (Photo: VNA) In his remarks at the EAS meeting, Son said through consultations, the EAS has contributed to promoting cultural dialogue and cooperation, increasing similarities, narrowing differences, and enhancing trust among its member countries.
He spoke highly of the commitment and support by partners towards ASEAN, stressing that these commitments should be translated into actions through active participation and effective contributions to ASEAN-led mechanisms.
Applauding the positive cooperation between ASEAN and the US, the official underlined the priority to promoting cooperation in trade, and science, technology, and innovation as key areas and motivations for the ASEAN-US cooperation.
It is necessary to strengthen coordination to ensure a sustainable future for the people of the two sides through cooperation in health care, education, human resources development, green transition, and sustainable development, he said.
Son suggested the two sides pay more attention to and provide effective support for the development of sub-regions, contributing to inclusive, equitable, and sustainable growth in the region.
He proposed that ASEAN’s partners should demonstrate respect for and support the central role played by ASEAN, and work together with the group to promote dialogues and consultations, build trust, address common challenges, and develop an inclusive, transparent, and rules-based regional structure.
The official affirmed ASEAN's principled stance on the East Sea and called on ASEAN’s partners to continue supporting and responsibly contributing to ASEAN-led efforts in ensuring peace, security, and stability in the sea; and in building a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).
At the meetings, delegates engaged in extensive exchanges of views on international and regional issues. They reviewed cooperation and set out orientations for expanding connections in the future, and discussed the preparation for the upcoming high-level meetings in September in Indonesia.
ASEAN’s partners affirmed their support for the bloc's efforts, balanced and objective approaches, and common stance on these issues.
At the ASEAN PMC with the US, ministers affirmed that they will continue to promote cooperation, towards further fostering the ASEAN–US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
ASEAN welcomed the US’s proposal in implementing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). On this occasion, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the establishment of the ASEAN-US Centre to support these efforts./.
VNA
