Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a working session on October 28 with Vietnamese ambassadors to ASEAN and regional countries sharing maritime borders with Vietnam, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
PM Chinh listened to reports from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ambassadors on the outcomes of Vietnam’s cooperation with relevant countries and in ASEAN, particularly in trade, investment, and fisheries development; protection of fishermen and fishing vessels; and efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as well as those to lift the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning against Vietnam’s seafood exports.
Accordingly, despite certain fluctuations in the regional situation, Vietnam’s cooperative ties with regional countries have continued expanding, with regular exchanges of delegations. These countries have supported and recognised Vietnam’s development achievements. Coordination in addressing complex issues such as citizen protection and IUU fishing prevention has also recorded positive progress.
The PM applauded the results achieved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese embassies in recent times, especially successfully organising activities of the Vietnamese delegation during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.
Regarding key tasks for the coming period, the PM underlined the need to further promote friendship in all aspects between Vietnam and its regional partners as well as within the ASEAN framework, affirming that this region holds strategic importance for Vietnam.
He called for turning strong political ties into practical economic cooperation projects and programmes, advancing and proposing new economic cooperation initiatives with regional partners, expanding markets for Vietnamese goods, and making full use of the recently upgraded partnerships.
Vietnamese representative missions must continue to closely monitor and effectively carry out measures to protect Vietnamese fishermen and fishing vessels operating at sea; actively coordinate efforts to combat IUU fishing; and enhance communications on Vietnam’s stance, objectives, and outcomes in tackling IUU fishing, the PM stated.
He also urged Vietnamese representative missions to better protect and support the overseas Vietnamese communities, particularly in light of the growing challenges posed by online scams and forced labour in the region that have affected Vietnamese citizens.
The Government leader requested the diplomats to perform well in political and cultural diplomacy and citizen protection, while strengthening the effectiveness of economic diplomacy. He stressed the importance of being proactive, responsible, decisive, and innovative in carrying out their duties, and ordered prompt reporting to relevant authorities at home on any issues requiring resolution./.
