Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh at the meeting (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign MinisterPham Binh Minh has affirmed that Vietnam supports the official upgrade of ASEAN- European Union ties to the strategic partnership level.
Addressing the 23rd ASEAN - EU Ministerial Meeting, held viavideo conference on December 1, Minh lauded the EU for supporting ASEAN’scentral role and solidarity in shaping an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-basedregional architecture with bloc-led mechanisms as the foundation, contributingto maintaining peace, security, stability, and law abidance in the region.
He suggested the EU, with its experience in regional connectivity,assist the bloc in narrowing development gap and linking sub-regions withASEAN’s common development process, towards even and sustainable development.
On the East Sea issue, he affirmed that Vietnam’s stance suits ASEAN’s principlestance, which was affirmed at the 36th ASEAN Summit in June, the 53rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in September, and the 37th ASEAN Summit inNovember.
Minh asked countries to uphold the spirit of cooperation and sense ofresponsibility for building the East Sea into a water of peace, stability, andcooperation.
ASEAN heralded the EU as its partner of top significance, second-largesttrade partner with two-way trade of 280 billion USD in 2019, and third-largestsource of FDI with 16.2 billion USD last year.
The EU also announced a new initiative at the meeting to carry out a medicalsupport programme in Southeast Asia in response to COVID-19, within theframework of a 350 million EUR (421.6 million USD) relief package the EUprovided to ASEAN to improve its medical capacity.
Ministers also adopted the ASEAN - EU Joint Ministerial Statement on Connectivityand agreed to continue building the ASEAN - EU Free Trade Area and sooncomplete the ASEAN - EUComprehensive Air Transport Agreement.
Both sides welcomed the recentofficial operation of the ASEAN Customs Transit System, with support from theEU’s trade facilitation programme, which makes an active contribution toeconomic recovery and trade in the region.
Ministers highlighted the need to guaranteea regional environment of peace, security, and stability, and vowed to upholdinternational law, step up multilateralism, build a rules-based order in theregion and the world, jointly address global challenges, and fulfil sustainabledevelopment goals.
They affirmed the importance ofmaintaining peace, stability, security, and maritime and navigation safety andfreedom in the East Sea, where 40 percent of the EU’s goods pass through.
Participants expressed their supportfor promoting dialogue and building trust, exercising self-restraint, refrainingfrom activities that could complicate the situation or escalate disputes,avoiding militarisation, and settling disputes by peaceful means in line withinternational law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea. They also supported efforts to soon resume negotiations to reach aneffective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea in accordance withinternational law./.
Addressing the 23rd ASEAN - EU Ministerial Meeting, held viavideo conference on December 1, Minh lauded the EU for supporting ASEAN’scentral role and solidarity in shaping an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-basedregional architecture with bloc-led mechanisms as the foundation, contributingto maintaining peace, security, stability, and law abidance in the region.
He suggested the EU, with its experience in regional connectivity,assist the bloc in narrowing development gap and linking sub-regions withASEAN’s common development process, towards even and sustainable development.
On the East Sea issue, he affirmed that Vietnam’s stance suits ASEAN’s principlestance, which was affirmed at the 36th ASEAN Summit in June, the 53rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in September, and the 37th ASEAN Summit inNovember.
Minh asked countries to uphold the spirit of cooperation and sense ofresponsibility for building the East Sea into a water of peace, stability, andcooperation.
ASEAN heralded the EU as its partner of top significance, second-largesttrade partner with two-way trade of 280 billion USD in 2019, and third-largestsource of FDI with 16.2 billion USD last year.
The EU also announced a new initiative at the meeting to carry out a medicalsupport programme in Southeast Asia in response to COVID-19, within theframework of a 350 million EUR (421.6 million USD) relief package the EUprovided to ASEAN to improve its medical capacity.
Ministers also adopted the ASEAN - EU Joint Ministerial Statement on Connectivityand agreed to continue building the ASEAN - EU Free Trade Area and sooncomplete the ASEAN - EUComprehensive Air Transport Agreement.
Both sides welcomed the recentofficial operation of the ASEAN Customs Transit System, with support from theEU’s trade facilitation programme, which makes an active contribution toeconomic recovery and trade in the region.
Ministers highlighted the need to guaranteea regional environment of peace, security, and stability, and vowed to upholdinternational law, step up multilateralism, build a rules-based order in theregion and the world, jointly address global challenges, and fulfil sustainabledevelopment goals.
They affirmed the importance ofmaintaining peace, stability, security, and maritime and navigation safety andfreedom in the East Sea, where 40 percent of the EU’s goods pass through.
Participants expressed their supportfor promoting dialogue and building trust, exercising self-restraint, refrainingfrom activities that could complicate the situation or escalate disputes,avoiding militarisation, and settling disputes by peaceful means in line withinternational law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea. They also supported efforts to soon resume negotiations to reach aneffective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea in accordance withinternational law./.
VNA
