Hanoi (VNA) ♔– The Asia - Europe Meeting (ASEM) High-level Policy Dialogue incommemoration of ASEM’s 25th founding anniversary takes place both in personand via videoconference in Hanoi on June 22.

Themed "ASEM at 25: Strengthening Asia-EuropePartnership in a Transforming World", the dialogue is an occasion forthe members to discuss the orientations and vision for the Asia - Europecooperation in the new period, helping to sustain and promote the ASEMcooperation, especially amid the complicated COVID-19 pandemic that has causedserious impacts around the globe. The event, held at the initiative of Vietnam, features theopening session with participation of ministers and two panel discussions on“Asia and Europe in a resetting world” and “Shaping a vision for stronger Asia- Europe partnership”. Over the last 25 years, Vietnam, which joined ASEM in 1996 asa founding member, has always served as an active, dynamic, and responsiblemember. It helped propose and promote the ASEM membership expansiontwice and, together with other members, adopted many important documents anddecisions orienting the ASEM cooperation such as the Hanoi Declaration onCloser ASEM Economic Partnership in 2004. The country hosted the ASEM Summit in 2004 and the ASEMForeign Ministers’ Meeting in 2009. It has also played an active role in thefive specialised cooperation groups, that it is a member, namely the ones onwater management, natural disaster response, vocational training, education andhuman resources development, and technological connectivity. Vietnam is also the country initiating and maintaining thefirst cooperation mechanism of ASEM, which is the sustainable developmentdialogue that focuses on the sustainable management of water resources and thecooperation among the countries traversed by the Mekong and Danube rivers,helping to elevate the Mekong sub-regional cooperation to the regional level in2011. Besides, Vietnam is also viewed as one of the active membersin proposing and promoting new cooperation aspects, while implementing andco-sponsoring nearly 60 initiatives in different fields. Via cooperation initiatives, it has joined other ASEM membersin highlighting the interest of peace, security, and stability, settling urgentissues, and promoting common concerns. Most recently, the high-level dialogue on women’s economicempowerment amid the COVID-19 pandemic, proposed by Vietnam, took place in Hanoiin October 2020. It was one of the most important events of ASEM lastyear and also the first practical activity held to implement the ASEM ForeignMinisters’ statement on COVID-19 response issued on July 9, 2020. On the basis of ASEM cooperation, Vietnam’s bilateral relationswith other ASEM members have been increasingly enhanced. ASEM members currently make up 23 of the 30 strategic andcomprehensive partners of Vietnam, and they are also partners in 15 of the 17free trade agreements that the country has signed or is negotiating. Theycontribute to about 70 percent of the foreign direct investment in, 70 percentof the foreign trade of, and 80 percent of the international visitors toVietnam. In the time ahead, the country is set to keep coordinatingwith other ASEM members to strengthen the forum’s cooperation and develop anincreasingly dynamic and inter-connected Asia - Europe partnership forprosperity in the two continents and the world as a whole. From 26 founding members, the ASEM forum, founded in Bangkokof Thailand on March 1, 1996, now has a membership of 53, comprising 21 Asiancountries, 30 European countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the EuropeanCommission. ASEM dialogue and cooperation activities have been carryingout on the political - security, economic - financial, and social - culturalpillars./.