PM Pham Minh Chinh attends the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 24. (Photo: VNA)

This was his first overseas working trip since Chinh was elected as the Prime Minister earlier this month.

During the trip, Chinh attended the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting; held talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo; met with Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Haji Hassanal Bolkiah; had bilateral meetings with Cambodian PM Hun Sen, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin; and received ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi.

At the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting, the regional leaders focused on discussing ASEAN Community building, the bloc’s external relations, and issues of regional and international concerns.

On the Myanmar situation, Chinh affirmed that Vietnam, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021 and the Council's President for April 2021, has worked to create favourable conditions for the ASEAN member nations to collaborate closely at UN forums in mobilising support for the bloc’s efforts in approaching and finding suitable solutions to the Myanmar issue.

During the bilateral meetings, Chinh was congratulated on his election as the PM as well as Vietnam’s successes in COVID-19 prevention and control, and taking over the role of ASEAN Chair 2020. The foreign leaders affirmed that they have attached great importance to and want to further strengthen cooperative and friendly relations with Vietnam.

For his part, Chinh asserted that Vietnam has continued to pursue a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of international relations, being a responsible member of the international community, and proactive and active international integration.

The Vietnamese PM and the leaders of the ASEAN nations agreed to continue developing multifaceted cooperation, especially in the fields of investment, trade and response to emerging pandemics such as COVID-19.

VNA

Vietnamese Prime Minister attends ASEAN Leader’s Meeting

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 24 attended the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting held at the ASEAN Secretariat’s headquarters in Jakarta, the first in-person meeting of its kind in 2021.