Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh speaks at the forum. (Photo: VNA) Themed “Connecting Regions: Partnership for Resilient andSustainable Supply Chains,” the event was co-organised by the OECD, theVietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.
It was the initiative of Vietnam and Australia as the co-chairs of the OECD-run Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP), and thefirst important event of the programme in the 2022-2025 period.
In his remarks, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign AffairsBui Thanh Son expressed his hope that participants will look into causes behinddisruption in supply chains and their impacts on the global economy, as well as therecovery and shift of the supply chains in the time ahead.
He suggested them propose policies and measures to enhanceresilience and self-reliance of economies, and identify cooperation orientationsbetween the OECD and Southeast Asian nations.
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann commendedVietnam’s co-chairmanship of the SEARP for the first time, saying it reflects theconfidence of OECD member countries and other nations in the region inVietnam’s capacity in linking the OECD with the region.
Lauding Vietnam’s active contributions to the SEARP inits capacity as the co-chair, Cormann pledged to continue coordinating withVietnam in promoting cooperation between the OECD and Southeast Asian nationsand realising the OECD-ASEAN action plan.
He asked the participants to discuss potential ofregional economies and support of OECD countries to the Southeast Asian region.
Addressing the forum, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham BinhMinh stressed the significance of Southeast Asia to the global economy, saying that with a population of 660 million, the region is expected to become the world'sfourth largest economy by 2030.
As the co-chair of the SEARP for 2022-2025, Vietnam standsready to contribute to forging cooperation between the OECD and Southeast Asiain a more comprehensive, effective, practical and sustainable manner, heaffirmed.
Minh suggested intensifying supply chain cooperation betweenthe two sides in a stable, sustainable and fair way, and utilising the existingeconomic networks, especially the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-PacificPartnership (CPTPP) and free trade agreements between Southeast Asia and theOECD.
The Deputy PM called on the OECD countries to help SoutheastAsia bring into full play its potential in digital economy, high-techagriculture and innovation, and consider coordination in developing digital andfarm produce supply chains.
The Vietnamese Government will continue to facilitateinvestment in such priority areas as high-tech, IT, supporting industries, smartagriculture, environmental protection, renewable energy and infrastructure in serviceof social welfare, he emphasised.
Minh said he hoped that FDI firms from the OECDcountries and other Southeast Asian nations will help Vietnam accelerate its industrialisation and modernisation process, especially in personnel training,research-development, innovation and technology transfer, thus turningVietnam into a centre in regional and global value chains.
He also called on the OECD to assist Southeast Asia inupgrading infrastructure and building ASEAN into a logistics centre, including thelogistics complex in Vietnam’s northern province of Vinh Phuc.
“We hope that the OECD will help Vietnamese small-andmedium-sized enterprises in accessing international capital markets, transferringtechnologies, improving administration capacity and competitiveness, developingkey products and building strong brands,” he continued.
The Deputy PM suggested the two sides effectivelyimplement the OECD-ASEAN memorandum of understanding, particularly in priority areaslike tax, trade facilitation, investment, digital transformation and personnel training.
He stressed that maintaining a stable environment andensuring the circulation of goods through international waters, including theEast Sea, is both right and task of all countries.
Minh expressed his hope that comprehensive, feasiblesolutions will be raised at the forum to advance and deepen the relationsbetween the OECD and Southeast Asia for peace, stability, cooperation anddevelopment in the region and the world at large./.
VNA
