New York (VNA) – Vietnamese Minister of ForeignAffairs Bui Thanh Son met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of ForeignAffairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith, Minister for Foreign Affairs and ExternalTrade of the Salomon Islands Jeremiah Manele, Minister of State for ForeignAffairs of Uganda Henry Oryem Okello, and Vice President of the EuropeanCommission for Interinstitutional Relations Maros Sefcovic in New York onSeptember 20.

The meetings took place on the occasion of their attendancein the high-level general debate of the United Nations General Assembly.

Talking to Kommasith, Son applauded the sound development of the twocountries’ relations, especially high-level mutual visits and meetings, and thepromotion of key cooperation projects in the recent past.

The Lao official spoke highly of the success of the delegationexchanges between the countries’ Party and State leaders, especially themeeting among the leaders of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Lao People’sRevolutionary Party, and the Cambodian People’s Party in Hanoi on September 6.

The two sides agreed to coordinate closely to prepare forhigh-level activities between the Vietnamese and Lao Parties and Governments,coming events of inter-sectoral cooperation mechanisms, and some cooperationprojects. The countries will also keep close coordination and mutual support atmultilateral forums.

Minister Son affirmed Vietnam’s support for and efforts to helpLaos fulfill its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)in 2024.

At the meeting with Manele, Son stressed that Vietnam alwaysattaches importance to developing cooperation with Pacific island countries,particularly the Salomon Islands.

Both sides agreed to consider the establishment ofcooperation mechanisms; sign documents and agreements in the areas thecountries are strong at such as trade - investment, fisheries, agriculture,tourism, and climate change response to serve as stepping stones forcooperation; and enhance collaboration and mutual support at multilateralforums.

Receiving Okello, Son highly valued the visit to Vietnam by Ugandan PresidentYoweri Kaguta Museveni last November, and asked the two countries to presson with implementing the trip’s outcomes to substantively develop multifacetedcooperation.

Okello emphasised that his country admires Vietnam’ssocio-economic development achievements and wishes the two sides will boostdiscussion to expand ties in agriculture and telecommunications infrastructure.

The two officialsagreed that their countries will strengthen cooperation and mutual support atmultilateral forums, including the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Groupof 77 (G77).

Meeting with Sefcovic, Son noted with satisfaction theincreasingly extensive and substantive strides in the Vietnam - EU relations, and affirmed that the EU is one of the leading partners ofVietnam, calling on both sides to maintain and bring into play cooperation anddialogue mechanisms.

The Vietnamese minister also appealed to the European Councilto raise its voice to persuade the EU to soon remove the “yellow card” warningover illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing for fishery exports ofthe Southeast Asian nation.

Sefcovic said he attaches importance to the EU - Vietnam cooperationand also shared the view on Son’s proposals.

Both officials also touched upon measures for realisingclimate change response commitments and the Political Declaration onestablishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between Vietnam andthe G7 countries.

At the meetings, Minister Son affirmed Vietnam and ASEAN’scommon stance on peacefully settling disputes on the basis of international law,including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), andguaranteeing the safety and security of navigation and overflight in the EastSea./.