Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (sixth from left, first line) poses a photo with delegates to the closing ceremony of the 37th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The 37th ASEAN Summit and RelatedSummits concluded successfully on November 15 afternoon.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Vietnamese Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc said that leaders of ASEAN countries discussed and agreed ona range of drastic and practical measures to boost cooperation to respond to andovercome challenges facing the bloc, including the COVID-19 pandemic and to makethe ASEAN Community become stronger and truly become a nucleus of the regionwith people always put at the centre.
The summits agreed on important contents, thus creatinga new driver for relations between ASEAN and its partners and reaffirmingstrong commitments to multilateral cooperation as well as economic linkages andliberalisation.
The Vietnamese leader added that during these summits, leadersof participating countries reached consensus on numerous important decisions,including the Mid-term Review of ASEAN Community Vision 2025 Blueprints;reviewing the implementation of the ASEAN Charter, and approving the HanoiDeclaration on post-2025 ASEAN Community Vision.
On this occasion, the leaders of the ASEAN member states adopted a Narrativeof ASEAN Identity and issued the Hanoi Declaration on Strengthening Social Work towardsCohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community, he said, adding that the ASEAN Women Leaders’Summit held for the first time offered a valuable chance for women in ASEANcountries to contribute to the region’s sustainable growth efforts.
ASEAN’s initiatives on cooperation in responding to theCOVID-19 pandemic and disease risks were announced and put into operation,including the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, the Regional Reserve of MedicalSupplies, the ASEAN Standard Operating Procedures in response to Public HealthEmergencies and the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and EmergingDiseases.
The leaders also adopted the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF)and a plan to carry out the ACRF on all three pillars of the ASEAN Community tohelp people and businesses overcome pandemic impacts and stabilise socio-economicactivities.
To continue expanding and deepening relations with partners,PM Phuc went on, ASEAN agreed to allow the accession to the Treaty of Amity andCooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) of Colombia, Cuba and South Africa, raisingthe total number of signatories to 43.
The signing of the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP) agreement after eight years of talks demonstrates the strongcommitment and determination of regional countries to promote economicconnectivity and liberalisation, PM Phuc stresed.
At the closing ceremony, Vietnam handed over the ASEAN Chairmanship to Brunei Darussalam which will be chair of the bloc in 2021.
The Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah congratulated Vietnamon fulfilling its role as the ASEAN Chair in 2020.
He also announced the theme of“We care, We prepare and We prosper” for Brunei's ASEAN Chairmanship Yearin 2021./.
VNA
