Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son at the event (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Sonattended the ASEAN-Canada PostMinisterial Conference via a videoconference on August 5, as part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Son hailed Canada’s wish to further deepen ties with ASEAN,making active contributions to the bloc’s common efforts to maintain peace,stability and development in the region.
He suggested Canada assist ASEAN in timely and full access toCOVID-19 vaccines, promote specific measures to help regional countries dealwith impacts caused by the pandemic and step up recovery and developmentefforts.
Vietnam supports the launch of negotiations on building the ASEAN-Canada free trade area to facilitate trade and investment, hesaid. He also proposed accelerating joint work regarding women, peace andsecurity.
The minister stressed that maintaining peace, security, navigation nd aviation freedom in the East Sea is benefit and responsibility ofcountries, including ASEAN and Canada.
🔯 Affirming ASEAN’s consistent principled stance on the EastSea, he highlighted the importance of building trust, self-restraint,non-militarisation, peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with internationallaw, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS).
He said ASEAN is actively working with China tobuild an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in linewith international law and the 1982 UNCLOS. He suggested Canada continuesupporting ASEAN’s efforts in the issue.
Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau expressed his wish toupgrade ties with ASEAN, join ASEAN-led cooperation mechanisms more deeply andsoon launch talks on a free trade agreement between ASEAN and Canada.
ASEAN member states lauded Canada’s donation of 3.5 millionCAD (2.8 million USD) to the ASEAN COVID-19 response fund in the next fiveyears and a medical supplies package worth 4.5 million CAD to the grouping.
💃 Both sides agreed to prioritise giving mutual support to copewith the pandemic, mitigate impacts caused by it and promote comprehensive andsustainable recovery.
They pledged to accelerate economic, trade and investmentcollaboration and stably maintain supply chain linkage. This year, they willlaunch talks on the free trade area and carry out the action plan for the 2021-2025period.
✃ Canada vowed to continue with programmes oneducation-training, high-quality human resource development, support forbusinesses, disaster management, application of innovation technology, cybersecurity, digital economic and sustainable development, and climate changeresponse.
At ASEAN-Canada Ministerial Meeting (Photo: VNA) On regional and global issues of shared concern, ASEAN andCanada spotlighted the importance of maintaining peace, security and stabilityin the region, especially in the East Sea in the current context.
Canada supported ASEAN in promoting cooperation, dialogues,building regional trust, upholding international law, building rules-basedregional order, and addressing disputes by peaceful means in line withinternational law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and completing a COC.
ไ Canada welcomed ASEAN for actively promoting reconciliationand dialogue, assisting Myanmar in seeking measures to stabilise thesituation, while emphasising its support for ASEAN to successfullyimplement Five-Point Consensus reached by ASEAN leaders./.
