Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led the Vietnamese delegation to the meetings.

At the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting, both sides emphasised the importance of the relationship between the two regional organisations that are considered the most successful. The two sides acknowledged the positive progress in the bilateral cooperation in recent years, especially in the active implementation of the ASEAN-EU Action Plan for the 2018-2022 period.

Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh at the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting.

For many years, the EU has been the most important partner of ASEAN, especially in economic and development cooperation. The EU is currently the third largest trading partner of ASEAN with a two-way trade reaching US$280 billion in 2019 and the third largest source of foreign investment of ASEAN with a total volume of FDI hitting US$16.2 billion last year.

The ministers affirmed their strong commitment to strengthen the ASEAN-EU comprehensive cooperation relationship in the coming time, and continue promoting their "Partners in Integration" relationship. The two sides welcomed the 22nd ASEAN-EU Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Belgium in January 2019. They shared the view in principle on upgrading ASEAN-EU relations to the level of strategic partnership and agreed to formalise the upgrade soon.

The two sides agreed to continue effectively cooperating in areas of mutual interest and strengths, including economy-trade, connectivity, transport, counter-terrorism, fighting transnational crime, cyber security, marine security and health care. Amid the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, the two sides agreed to work closely to support capacity building and response to the Covid-19 pandemic and promote recovery.

At the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, the ministers noted that despite complicated and unpredictable developments, especially the challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the ASEAN- India relations continue to make significant progress across all fields, including the implementation of the ASEAN-India Action Plan 2016-2020.

India affirmed its relationship with ASEAN, emphasising that ASEAN plays a central role in India's Act East policy. ASEAN highly appreciated India's commitment and active participation in ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM +) and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) as well as India's support for regional cooperation and ASEAN community building.

The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in the areas of economy, trade and investment; maritime cooperation; counter-terrorism and fighting transnational crime; connectivity; science-technology and innovation; natural disaster prevention, control and mitigation; climate change response, cultural and people-to-people exchange, and narrowing development gaps.

ASEAN appreciated India's active support for regional cooperation, including capacity building, narrowing the development gaps, and earmarking one billion USD in credit to support projects connecting the two sides.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh emphasised the importance of the ASEAN-India strategic partnership and affirmed India as a reliable partner and friend of ASEAN.

ASEAN and India should make efforts to strengthen economic and trade connectivity, and maritime cooperation, while coordinating to fully exploit the 1.8 billion-people market, and strengthening cooperation to achieve two-way trade turnover of 200 billion USD by 2022, Minh said.

The meetings supported the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and early finalisation of an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

The EU emphasised the need to respect international law, refrain from tense actions and militarisation, and support efforts to build laws governing behaviour in the region.

India informed the ASEAN countries of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. The EU welcomed ASEAN to play its role in promoting cooperation, dialogue, building trust in the region, supporting efforts to seriously and fully implement the DOC and develop an effective COC in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.

At the meetings, Minh highly appreciated the support of the partners for ASEAN's efforts to participate in ensuring peace, security, stability and navigation and aviation in the East Sea.

Following the two meetings, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chaired an international press conference, announcing the outcomes of AMM 53 and Related Meetings. ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi attended the online press conference.

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Climate change mitigation and adaptation, marine waste management, environmentally sustainable cities, and air and water pollution are among cooperation areas targeted by Vietnam and Japan in the time ahead.

Prime Minister to attend Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Summit

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will attend the third Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Summit, which is due to be held online on August 24, at the invitation of his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith.

Vietnam, Russia enhance traditional cooperation in communications

An online meeting between Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper and the Committee for External Relations of Saint-Petersburg (Russia) was held on August 20 to discuss their cooperation in the coming times.

Vietnam, Chile seek to foster economic, trade cooperation

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai on August 4 held a virtual meeting with Rodrigo Yanez Benitez, Under-Secretary for International Economic Relations at the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to boost economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

Steering Committee for Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation holds 12th meeting

Vietnam and China defined major tasks in the time ahead to beef up their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a sustainable way, during the 12th meeting of the Steering Committee for Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation held in the form of teleconferencing on July 21.

Source: NDO/VNA