Tokyo (VNA) – Japan reiterated itssupport for the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) in the regional architecture at the 33rd ASEAN-Japan Forum held inTokyo on June 13.
The annual deputy ministerial forum, part of theASEAN-Japan dialogue relations, aimed to review bilateral cooperation anddiscuss measures for enhancing their strategic partnership.
The ASEAN countries and Japan applauded the outcomesin their strategic partnership and cooperation through the implementation ofthe 2017 Revised Implementation Plan of the Vision Statement on ASEAN-JapansFriendship and Cooperation.
Japan is currently the fourth biggest tradepartner and the second largest FDI investor of ASEAN.
Japan affirmed that ASEAN is an importantpartner of the country, and it will continue cooperating with and assistingASEAN in building its community, enhancing connectivity, and narrowingdevelopment gap.
In particular, Japan will further cooperate withASEAN in trade, investment, developing businesses, especially micro-, small-and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), transport, energy, environmentalprotection, sustainable development, poverty reduction, health care, and care forthe elderly. It will also boost people-to-people exchanges and strengthen tiesin coping with climate change, fighting terrorism and extremism, and steppingup cyber security.
The two sides agreed to expand cooperation tomake use of technological achievements in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,such as those relating to e-commerce, digital economy and smart city building.
Japan highly valued the initiative of setting upan ASEAN network of smart cities and expressed its readiness to co-sponsor thisidea.
To mark 45 years of ASEAN-Japan ties in 2018,they will work closely together to successfully organise a summit commemoratingthe ASEAN-Japan dialogue relations in November. They will also mobiliseresources to effectively carry out the Revised Implementation Plan of theVision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, soon sign aprotocol amending the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement,and actively implement the 10-year Strategic Economic Cooperation Roadmap.
The two sides are set to make efforts to soonapprove the draft ASEAN-Japan technical cooperation agreement to furtherpromote regional integration. They will also press on with collaboration todevelop the Mekong region through practical projects within the framework ofthe Japan-Mekong Connectivity Initiative.
With regard to the East Sea situation, bothASEAN and Japan underlined the importance of peace, stability, security, safetyand freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea. They voiced concernsabout the recent developments that could negatively affect the negotiation on aCode of Conduct (COC) of parties in the East Sea.
They stressed the need to exercise restraint,not have unilateral actions that complicate the situation, not militarise theEast Sea, peacefully resolve disputes on the basis of international law, ensurethe full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct ofParties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon finalise a meaningful and effectiveCOC.
Addressing the forum, Deputy Foreign MinisterNguyen Quoc Dung, head of the Vietnamese delegation, spoke highly of Japan’scontributions to the region and welcomed the country’s commitment to supportingASEAN’s central role and assisting the bloc in building its community, developingthe Mekong region, stepping up connectivity, narrowing development gap, anddeveloping human resources.
He emphasised that both sides need to coordinateclosely to realise their leaders’ decisions and actively implement the RevisedImplementation Plan of the Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship andCooperation through concrete and practical projects.
Regarding international and regional issues, Dunghailed the recent progress in the Korean Peninsula, including the inter-Koreansummits and the US-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea summit, affirmingVietnam’s support for peace, stability and denuclearization of the KoreanPeninsula.
He echoed the view on the worrying developmentsin the East Sea and stressed that the relevant sides must exercise self-restraint,thoroughly comply with international law and the 1982 United Nations Conventionon the Law of the Sea, and not have unilateral actions that complicate thesituation or running counter to international law, thereby ensuring afavourable environment for peace and stability in the East Sea and thenegotiation on the COC.
Vietnam will work as a coordinator ofASEAN-Japan dialogue relations from August 2018 to August 2021, Dung said,affirming that the country will work closely with Japan and other ASEAN countriesto bring their strategic partnership to a new height, thus benefiting the twosides as well as peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region andthe world.-VNA
The annual deputy ministerial forum, part of theASEAN-Japan dialogue relations, aimed to review bilateral cooperation anddiscuss measures for enhancing their strategic partnership.
The ASEAN countries and Japan applauded the outcomesin their strategic partnership and cooperation through the implementation ofthe 2017 Revised Implementation Plan of the Vision Statement on ASEAN-JapansFriendship and Cooperation.
Japan is currently the fourth biggest tradepartner and the second largest FDI investor of ASEAN.
Japan affirmed that ASEAN is an importantpartner of the country, and it will continue cooperating with and assistingASEAN in building its community, enhancing connectivity, and narrowingdevelopment gap.
In particular, Japan will further cooperate withASEAN in trade, investment, developing businesses, especially micro-, small-and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), transport, energy, environmentalprotection, sustainable development, poverty reduction, health care, and care forthe elderly. It will also boost people-to-people exchanges and strengthen tiesin coping with climate change, fighting terrorism and extremism, and steppingup cyber security.
The two sides agreed to expand cooperation tomake use of technological achievements in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,such as those relating to e-commerce, digital economy and smart city building.
Japan highly valued the initiative of setting upan ASEAN network of smart cities and expressed its readiness to co-sponsor thisidea.
To mark 45 years of ASEAN-Japan ties in 2018,they will work closely together to successfully organise a summit commemoratingthe ASEAN-Japan dialogue relations in November. They will also mobiliseresources to effectively carry out the Revised Implementation Plan of theVision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, soon sign aprotocol amending the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement,and actively implement the 10-year Strategic Economic Cooperation Roadmap.
The two sides are set to make efforts to soonapprove the draft ASEAN-Japan technical cooperation agreement to furtherpromote regional integration. They will also press on with collaboration todevelop the Mekong region through practical projects within the framework ofthe Japan-Mekong Connectivity Initiative.
With regard to the East Sea situation, bothASEAN and Japan underlined the importance of peace, stability, security, safetyand freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea. They voiced concernsabout the recent developments that could negatively affect the negotiation on aCode of Conduct (COC) of parties in the East Sea.
They stressed the need to exercise restraint,not have unilateral actions that complicate the situation, not militarise theEast Sea, peacefully resolve disputes on the basis of international law, ensurethe full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct ofParties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon finalise a meaningful and effectiveCOC.
Addressing the forum, Deputy Foreign MinisterNguyen Quoc Dung, head of the Vietnamese delegation, spoke highly of Japan’scontributions to the region and welcomed the country’s commitment to supportingASEAN’s central role and assisting the bloc in building its community, developingthe Mekong region, stepping up connectivity, narrowing development gap, anddeveloping human resources.
He emphasised that both sides need to coordinateclosely to realise their leaders’ decisions and actively implement the RevisedImplementation Plan of the Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship andCooperation through concrete and practical projects.
Regarding international and regional issues, Dunghailed the recent progress in the Korean Peninsula, including the inter-Koreansummits and the US-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea summit, affirmingVietnam’s support for peace, stability and denuclearization of the KoreanPeninsula.
He echoed the view on the worrying developmentsin the East Sea and stressed that the relevant sides must exercise self-restraint,thoroughly comply with international law and the 1982 United Nations Conventionon the Law of the Sea, and not have unilateral actions that complicate thesituation or running counter to international law, thereby ensuring afavourable environment for peace and stability in the East Sea and thenegotiation on the COC.
Vietnam will work as a coordinator ofASEAN-Japan dialogue relations from August 2018 to August 2021, Dung said,affirming that the country will work closely with Japan and other ASEAN countriesto bring their strategic partnership to a new height, thus benefiting the twosides as well as peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region andthe world.-VNA
VNA
