Bangkok (VNA)𝔉 – The 39th ASEAN-Japan Forum took place in Bangkok, Thailand on June 25 to review the ASEAN-Japan cooperation and discuss future directions to promote their comprehensive strategic partnership.

The Vietnamese delegation to the event was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet. Addressing the forum, Deputy FM Viet expressed a hope that the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will contribute positively and effectively to efforts to promote inclusive growth towards a future of sustainable development for the countries and people of both sides and the region. He suggested the two sides strengthen cooperation to connect and develop high-quality infrastructure and called on Japan to increase support for ASEAN countries to implement commitments to reduce carbon emissions, promote energy transition, respond to climate change through mechanisms and initiatives such as the Japanese Government's Asian Net Zero Emissions Community (AZEC) Initiative, the Asian energy transition initiative and the clean energy future initiative for ASEAN. Regarding the world and regional situation, Viet called on Japan to continue supporting ASEAN's common stance on the East Sea, especially the principles of restraint, peaceful settlement of disputes, and respect for international law and the UNCLOS 1982, backing efforts to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and create a conducive environment for negotiations to develop a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) which is effective, practical, and in accordance with international law, especially the UNCLOS 1982, contributing to turning the East Sea into a sea of peace, stability, cooperation and development. At the forum, both ASEAN and Japan appreciated the importance and values of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to each side and the entire region, and agreed that the ASEAN-Japan relationship is currently one of the most dynamic, substantive and effective foreign relations of ASEAN. The two sides pledged to coordinate closely to implement the Joint Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation Trusted Partners and its Implementation Plan to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership. Along with further strengthening economic - trade – investment cooperation, supply chain resilience, business development, people-to-people exchanges, education and healthcare, the countries agreed to expand cooperation to other potential areas, towards a sustainable future such as digital transformation, green transition, clean energy, and climate change response. Japan and ASEAN reached consensus to continue promoting cooperation to respond to non-traditional security challenges and maritime cooperation. ASEAN expects Japan to soon concretise Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's initiatives and commitments at the commemorative summit through specific cooperation programmes and projects. Amidst increasing tensions, violence and conflicts in many regions of the world, the countries emphasised the need to strengthen coordination to ensure peace, security and stability in the region, including in the East China Sea and the East Sea, create a favourable environment for cooperation and development, promote compliance with international law, and resolve disputes, conflict by peaceful means on the basis of the United Nations Charter and international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982)./.