The Vietnamese Government leader was addressing the second plenary session of the 12th ASEM Summit in Brussels, Belgium, on October 19.

He suggested that Asia and Europe should work more closely together to deal with traditional and non-traditional challenges, maintaining peace, promoting dialogues and building trust as well as preventive diplomacy in line with international and common norms.

ASEM should work for more balanced economic-financial governance and make the multilateral trade system more open, transparent and inclusive basing on the law, while enhancing the role of the World Trade Organisation in the new situation, he said.

He also proposed that ASEM should lead in realising commitments in climate change and natural disaster mitigation, sustainable management of natural resources, food and energy security.

At the same time, it is necessary to continue hastening the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, PM Phuc said, adding that developed members of ASEM should support developing ones in accessing financial resources, technology and investment in green energy, thus switching to green growth. 

ASEM should exert more efforts in reducing plastic waste, which is seriously threatening the maritime ecosystem and oceans’ health, he underscored.

The PM also stressed the need to promote inclusive socio-economic cooperation, while focusing more on sustainable poverty reduction, high quality education and human resources development in the digital era.

It is necessary to connect innovative centres and female entrepreneurs of the two continents, promoting people-to-people exchanges.

Vietnam will increase its financial contributions to the Asia-Europe Fund from 2019, he stated, adding SEM should share experience in inspiring innovation potential, while assisting vulnerable groups in the society, especially women and girls in accessing digital technology, adapting to changes and responding to risks.

Economic power of women should be enhanced to make them a subject of the national development strategies, thus completing the UN sustainable development growth.

PM Phuc declared that Vietnam is striving to approve the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, sign the free trade agreement with the EU and completing negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in late 2018.

Vietnam is also working hard to prepare for shouldering the role of ASEAN Chair in 2020 he said, expressing his hope to receive support from ASEM members in running for the position of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure.

Affirming Vietnam’s interest in ASEM cooperation, the PM proposed to host the ASEM Conference in promoting inclusive socio-economic growth in Asia and Europe and another on strengthening digital economy amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution in 2019.-VNA