At the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting (Photo: VNA)

Jakarta (VNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son continued to joinhis counterparts from ASEAN countries in attending the ASEAN 1 meetings withJapan, the Republic of Korea, the European Union (EU), the UK, Canada, and theASEAN 3 meeting, within the framework of the 56th ASEAN ForeignMinisters’ Meeting (AMM-56) in Jakarta, Indonesia,on July 13.

During the meetings, partner countries affirmed theirappreciation for ASEAN and support for ASEAN's unity and centrality. They pledged to assist ASEAN in building the ASEAN community and an open, inclusive, transparent, and rules-based regionalarchitecture operating in accordance with international law.

Co-chairingthe ASEAN-RoK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with his RoK counterpart Park Jin, Son proposedenhancing cooperation to ensure peace and stability, particularly in addressingnon-traditional security challenges, deepening economic cooperation forprosperity, and promoting cooperation for the people's benefit, towards a sustainable future.

On the occasion, he announced that Vietnam will host an ASEAN-RoK Day later this year, contributing to further reinforcing bilateralrelationship.

The ASEAN welcomed the RoK’s proposal to establishbilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, and the RoK-ASEAN SolidarityInitiative. The RoK side announced its commitment to double its contribution tothe ASEAN-RoK Cooperation Fund to 32 million USD by 2027 from 16 million USD in2022, as well as allocate over 200 million USD for joint projects.

Meanwhile, ASEAN and Japan agreed to deepen cooperation in various areas, especially in trade,investment, supply chain stability, and high-qualityinfrastructure development while expanding collaboration into new potentialareas such as innovation, climate change response and green growth. The ASEAN highlyvalued Japan's provision of a 3.34 billion USD loan to support post-pandemicrecovery efforts in ASEAN and its additional contribution of 100 million USD to theASEAN-Japan Integration Fund.

🍌 ASEANand EU officials reaffirmed their commitment to the goal of a ASEAN-EU Free TradeAgreement. The ASEAN welcomed the EU's Team Europe investment package of around10 billion EUR (11.2 billion USD) by 2027, which supports integration effortsand enhances capacity building and sustainable development in the region.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (fourth from left) at ASEAN+3 meeting (Photo: Yonhap)

At the ASEAN+3 meeting, ASEAN and China, Japan and the RoK vowed to strengthen existing economic and financial stabilisation mechanisms, promote trade and investment exchanges and joint work to ensurefood security and sustainable agriculture, and effectively deploy the ASEAN 3 EmergencyRice Reserve (APTERR).

In the meeting with the UK, the ASEAN highlyappreciated the UK’s proposal on key cooperation programmes worth 113 millionGBP over the next five years, which will support regional economic integration,health care, education, women's empowerment, peace, security and climate changeadaptation.

ASEAN and Canada committed to realising the JointStatement of the ASEAN-Canada 45th Anniversary Commemorative  Summit, toward establishing theASEAN-Canada strategic partnership. The ASEAN hailed Canada's commitment tosupporting the ASEAN community-building process, establishing the Trust Fund valuedat 13.1 million CAD (9.95 million USD), and providing scholarships for ASEAN.The ministers emphasised the need for both sides to effectively explorecooperation potentials, thus further advancing the dynamic and substantialdevelopment of their relationship.

In his speech, Son suggested stepping up inclusive recoveryefforts, stimulating growth momentum, prioritising trade and investmentcooperation, connectivity, human resources training, innovation, energytransition, food security, climate change adaptation and sustainabledevelopment.

He highly valued partners’ commitment to supporting ASEAN'sguiding role in promoting dialogue, cooperation and building trust in theregion. He urged partners to back ASEAN's common stance on the East Sea issue, uphold the significance of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the EastSea (DOC), and help ASEAN and China early achieve an effective and practical Code ofConduct in the East Sea (COC) that is in line with international law, includingthe 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), towards the goal of turning the East Sea into waters of peace, cooperation and sustainabledevelopment.

Duringa brief meeting the same day on the sideline of the AMM-56 and related meetings, Sonand his Japanese counterpart Hayashi Yoshimasa consented to continuefacilitating visits by leaders, holding cultural and locality-to-locality andpeople-to-people exchange activities, as part of celebrations for the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year.

They agreed to expedite Japan's provision of new-generation officialdevelopment assistance (ODA) for Vietnam, thus enabling Vietnam to access developmentassistance packages in high-quality infrastructure and energy transition, and simplifyvisa procedures for Vietnamese citizens, among others.

The twoministers also agreed to enhance mutual support at global and regional forums, including ASEAN-led andMekong sub-regional cooperation mechanisms.

♐ On July 14 morning, ASEAN foreign ministers and partners are scheduled to meetwith Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo, and attend the East Asia Summit(EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which includes ASEAN countries and partners namely China, Japan, RoK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia and the US./.