Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh (fourth from left) and other ASEAN leaders pose for a group photo at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo town of Indonesia. (Photo: VNA) Talking to the press about the trip’s outcomes, the ministernoted that on May 10 and 11, ASEAN leaders discussed and reached consensus onmany important orientations for the bloc’s cooperation in 2023 and comingyears. Their discussions focused on the theme of “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum ofGrowth”.
The leaders also engaged in dialogues with representativesof the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the youth, the ASEAN BusinessAdvisory Council, and the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community’sPost-2025 Vision. Opinions raised at the events reflected the determination tojoin hands to build a truly people-oriented and people-centred community.
Son said PM Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation sent out many importantmessages at the summit, held in LabuanBajo town, including those on the solidarity of ASEAN, the resolve to make substantiveand effective contributions to the ASEAN Community building, and the VietnameseParty and State’s consistent viewpoint of considering ASEAN as an important andintegral part of the country’s foreign policy.
In thatspirit, PM Chinh’s remarks were aimed at suggesting ideas, inspiringself-reliance, and unlocking resources for the development of the ASEANCommunity.
First, solidarity,unity, independence, self-reliance, and strongly bringing into play thecentrality of ASEAN serve as the fundamental values making the bloc’s success. The Vietnamese Government leader emphasised solidarity creates unbreakablestrength and must be shown via member countries’ will and concrete actions, andthat enhancing solidarity and unity is the core task for the sake of anindependent and self-reliant ASEAN.
He stressed the need forASEAN to maintain its strategic balance in its relations with partners,especially superpowers. By doing so, the bloc will manage to keep its centrality.Besides, it must truly be a trustworthy bridge capable of harmonising relationswith superpowers; create and promote the culture of dialogue, consultation andtrust building; and coordinate to respond to common challenges.
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son grants an interview to the press. (Photo: VNA) Amid numerous latent risks and uncertainties inthe global economy, to foster sustainable recovery and development, herecommended member countries expand the intra-bloc market, step up negotiationsto upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, comprehensively and stronglyimplement regional connectivity projects, and make substantive improvements forthe investment, business, and tourism environment.
PM Chinh also called for more attention toaugmenting ties in developing digital economies, digital governments, and circulareconomies, connecting the grids of member countries, developing renewableenergy, soon devising long-term strategies for training high-quality humanresources, and improving the implementation of the agreement on the mutualrecognition in labour of some professions in ASEAN.
Third, basing on thebloc’s core spirit of centering on people and taking people as the target andmomentum of the Community building, the PM held that ASEAN should enhance effortsto narrow the development gap, especially in remote areas and sub-regions.Sub-regional cooperation should be connected with common cooperation programmesof the ASEAN Community in all fields in order to open a wider development spaceand ensure a better life for all, according to Foreign Minister Son.
At the summit, PM Chinh andother regional leaders also had in-depth discussions on regional andinternational issues and reaffirmed ASEAN’s principled stance.
He underlined thatprotecting peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflightin the East Sea is both an interest and a responsibility of all countries. Heasked for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conductof Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as efforts to achieve a substantiveand effective code of conduct (COC) that matches international law and the 1982United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
PM Chinh’s proposals and contributions receivedsupport and high evaluation from participants, Son went on.
He added that on thisoccasion, the Vietnamese PM also met with other ASEAN leaders to review the implementationof bilateral agreements and look into measures for strengthening ties ineconomy, trade, investment, security - defence, culture, education, andpeople-to-people exchange in a more result-oriented and fruitful fashion./.
VNA
