Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Cambodian PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen (Photo: VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held separate meetings with his Cambodian, Singaporean and Malaysian counterparts on April 24, on the occasion of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting in Jakarta.
In the meeting with Cambodian PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Chinh affirmed that Vietnam always treasures and gives the top priority to consolidating the fine neighborliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia.
He stressed that Vietnam always stays ready to assist Cambodia to prevent the pandemic. In such spirit, Vietnam provided 500,000 USD together with 800 respirators, 2 million medical masks and 300,000 N-95 masks for Cambodia.
Chinh suggested Cambodia continue offering support to the Vietnamese community in the country, especially in handling legal documents to help them stabilise lives.
Hun Sen, for his part, affirmed that Cambodia highly values its traditional friendship and neighbourliness with Vietnam. He thanked Vietnam for offering valuable material and experience support to Cambodia to fight the pandemic.
Despite the pandemic, two-way trade between Vietnam and Cambodia doubled to 2.69 billion USD in the first half of this year.
The two PMs agreed to work closely together to monitor border areas and conduct vaccination to the two nations’ citizens. They hailed the exchange of two legal documents approving 84 percent of border demarcation and consented to do the remaining work in the near future.
The Vietnamese PM proposed Cambodia support Vietnam’s launch of a centre on emerging diseases and medical contingencies.
They vowed to work with other ASEAN member states to step up negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong (Photo: VNA) In his talks with Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, Chinh noted Singapore is the biggest investor in Vietnam in 2020 and early 2021.
He suggested hastening negotiations on a priority travel mechanism in a flexible manner, soon resuming commercial flights, and promoting bilateral economic and tourism links. He asked Singapore to continue providing short- and mid-term scholarships for Vietnam, including training at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Lee, for his part, expressed his wish to foster close ties with Chinh to promote Vietnam – Singapore strategtic partnership, and also agreed with Chinh’s proposals.
The two PMs pledged to continue boosting bilateral ties at regional and global forums, especially at ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Both sides will complete the ratification and effective implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, maintain ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue, and support ASEAN’s role in the settlement of Myanmar issue, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation in the region.
PM Chinh welcomed the upcoming Vietnam visit by the Singaporean Foreign Minister to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) high-level policy dialogue scheduled for next month, and invited Lee to visit Vietnam. The Singaporean PM accepted the invitation with pleasure and also invited Chinh to Singapore.
PM Pham Minh Chinh meets Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin (Photo: VNA)
In the conversation with Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin, Chinh wished to reinforce ties with Malaysia in bilateral and multilateral frameworks.
Yassin said he believes that with achievements in pandemic control, socio-economic stability and success in external relations, Vietnam will reap further successes in socio-economic development, thus improving its stature in the region and the world.
The two PMs promised to expand bilateral coordination in various fields in the near future, including maintaining all-level exchanges, both online and offline. The two countries will also hold the sixth meeting of the Vietnam – Malaysia Inter-Committee for Economic and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, and the fourth meeting of the Trade Joint Committee, towards raising two-way trade to 15 billion USD.
The two sides pledged to offer mutual support within the ASEAN framework and at regional and global forums, continue upholding ASEAN’s role in the East Sea issue, seriously abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon reach a practical and effective COC in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting, heads of delegations of Laos, Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar also paid courtesy calls to PM Chinh, and wished that he would continue boosting bilateral ties./.
