As the Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) enters the third decade, it is time to build a vision for a responsible and responsive ASEM as a champion for multilateral cooperation, said a senior Vietnamese official.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh at the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh made the remark while addressing the first plenary session of the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which convened in Myanmar’s capital city of Nay Pyi Taw on November 20. 

In his speech, Minh urged Europe and Asia to continue taking the lead in maintaining the world peace and stability, promoting dialogue, confidence-building and preventive diplomacy, and upholding international law.

“As key drivers of economic growth and innovation in the 21st century, Asia and Europe have full ability and responsibility to champion for 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,” he added.

The official also suggested the collaboration cover sustainable and inclusive growth, poverty eradication, climate change, disaster risk reduction, sustainable management of natural resources, food – water – energy security, and development of global value chains and supply chains, among other arenas.

Minh recalled commitments made by APEC leaders at their meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, noting that they “upheld the core values of APEC of free and open trade and investment and its continued support for the multilateral trading system.”

“The Golden Anniversary of ASEAN, prospects of finalising the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) next year and the new Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) have provided fresh dynamism for deepened regional economic integration,” he said.

The official affirmed that Vietnam will continue working closely with ASEM partners for peace, sustainable development, and to build a vision for a responsible and responsive ASEM in the next decade. 

“To that end, Vietnam, together with Myanmar, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands, will organise the ‘ASEM Conference on Climate Action to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – Ways Forward’ next year,” Minh concluded.

At the first session, themed “Synergising Peace and Sustainable Development”, participants agreed to boost dialogue, security cooperation, multilateralism, and democracy in line with the UN Charter and international law.

Participants voiced their support for a rule-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation at its core toward sustainable and inclusive growth.

They also committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in Europe and Asia and Paris climate agreement, with a focus on poverty eradication, climate change adaptation, technology transfer, and building capacity for developing countries, among others.

The second plenary session, which revolved around boosting partnerships for the third-decade development of ASEM, took place in the afternoon the same day. The function stressed the preservation of core values and principles on equality, and mutual respect and benefits, with discussion concentrating on regional connectivity across the spheres of infrastructure, institutions and human resources.

Since 1996, ASEM has become an important dialogue mechanism between the two continents, bringing together 53 members, including four permanent members of the UN Security Council and 12 members of the group of the world’s 20 largest developing and emerging markets (G20). ASEM makes up 68 percent of population and contributes about 55 percent of the GDP and nearly 60 percent of trade globally.

ASEM FMs’ Meeting: Deputy PM meets foreign ministers

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh meets French FM Jean-Yves Le Drian 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh had separate meetings with Foreign Ministers of France, Luxembourg, Hungary, Finland, Romania and Germany within the framework of the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on November 20. 

Countries spoke highly of Vietnam’s close and effective work in global forums and organisations, especially in the United Nations. Both sides discussed ties between the ASEAN and the European Union (EU) and the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

On the East Sea issue, countries shared Vietnam and ASEAN’s stance on maintaining peace, stability, maritime and aviation freedom in the East Sea, the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), towards the early formulation of a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). 

French FM Jean-Yves Le Drian and the Vietnamese PM agreed on specific measures such as the exchange of high-level visits, inauguration of the French House in Ho Chi Minh City and investment in green and sustainable development projects to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the fifth anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership. 

Meeting FM of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn, Minh welcomed the signing of a framework agreement on cooperation on November 14 that creates a legal framework for bilateral coordination across energy, climate change, finance-banking, tourism and green growth in new forms as well as joint work to celebrate the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, including the exchange of high-level delegations. 

Asselborn described Vietnam as an important partner of Luxembourg in Asia and announced an aid worth 100,000 EUR for Vietnamese people hit hard by recent typhoon Damrey. 

In a dialogue with Hungarian FM Peter Szijjarto, Minh urged both sides to work closely together to carry out agreements reached during Prime Minister Orban Viktor’s visit to Vietnam in September. 

Szijjarto committed strong support to the early signing and adoption of the EVFTA. 

The Vietnamese and Hungarian leaders discussed how to soon disburse official development assistance worth 440 million EUR provided by the Hungarian government and further facilitate the two countries’ exports. 

The Hungarian FM announced that Hungary will double scholarship for Vietnamese students starting from September 2018. 

Minh also vowed to partner with Finland in the UN and multilateral forums. Finnish FM Timo Soini expressed his wish to cooperate with Vietnam in trade, investment, education-training, innovation, water resources management and clean technology, as well as prepare for the Finnish PM’s visit next year on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. 

Talking with State Secretary for Global Bilateral Affairs of Romania Monica Gheorghita, Minh called for collaboration to carry out agreements reached during Vietnam visit by the Romanian PM in July 2016. He proposed Romania offers preferential loans to Vietnam in the fields of pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, railway and equipment for oil and gas. 

The same day, Minh also met State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Slovenia Andej Logar, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, and Polish Deputy FM Marek Magierowski, during which they agreed to boost bilateral links across politics-diplomacy, economy-trade-investment, education-training, people-to-people exchange and in multilateral forums.

VNA