Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam, as the ASEAN Chair on Minerals, has called on regional countries🀅 to enhance economic connectivity and promote sustainable mining.

The appeal was made by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Quy Kien at the virtual conference of the 21st ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Minerals (ASOMM 21) in Hanoi on October 6. The function was chaired by the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), which saw the participation of representatives from the 10 ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat. Leaders of units of the MoNRE, the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Foreign Affairs, Public Security, and Information and Communications, the People’s Committee of Hanoi, the Vietnamese National Coal and Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (VINACOMIN), and mineral firms also attended the conference in Hanoi. Speaking at the event, Kien said 2021 is an important year when the mid-term review of the implementation of the Master Plans on ASEAN Community Building for the five years 2021-2026 must be conducted. It was also a pivotal year in Vietnam's tenure as the ASEAN Chair on mineral exploitation. “In the framework of ASEAN cooperation, we have witnessed many cooperation activities in mineral exploitation implemented which have produced remarkable results. That is the successful building and implementation of the ASEAN Minerals Cooperation Action Plan (AMCAP) 2016-2020, in which four AMCAP working groups were established to implement the objectives of the master plan,” emphasised Kien. In addition, in recent years, ASEAN countries have jointly contributed ideas on sustainable mineral exploitation at world conferences. Participants also discussed, agreed upon and implemented cooperation issues such as the ASEAN Geopark Programme, a mining award programme in the ASEAN community, the promotion of effective management in the region towards environmental protection and sustainable development, he added. The Vietnamese representative underlined the country’s wish to promote sustainable exploitation towards environmental protection and economic, financial and social inclusion based on innovation and application of digital and state-of-the-art technologies; develop high-quality human resources in minerals; and build a green environment. During the event, to run until Friday, participants are scheduled to discuss a wide range of issues, including the implementation of the ASEAN Minerals Cooperation Action Plan (AMCAP), the updates of ASEAN cooperation with the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), and a report on the progress of the Strengthening ASEAN Cooperation in Mineral (SACM) project. They are expected to adopt the AMCAP for the 2021-2025 period, yearly priorities of ASEAN mining industry, and preparations for the 14th ASOMM Plus Three and the 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Minerals (AMMin), among others. The AMMin is a forum for ASEAN ministers to review regional cooperation in the field of minerals, promote the development of the mining industry, and at the same time outline policy directions for cooperation within the bloc and between the bloc and its dialogue partners. Senior officials of the ASEAN minerals industry will also comment on the outcomes of the first phase of the AMCAP-III and a report of the ASOMM 21 on the completion of the remaining solutions in the first phase of the plan. They will also approve Phase 2 of the AMCAP-III and guidelines on ASEAN cooperation in minerals under the Master Plan for ASEAN Economic Community 2025 in the 2021-2025 period. The 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Minerals and related meetings is being held in the form of teleconference in Hanoi from October 6-8. The related meetings are the 21st Annual Senior Officials Meeting on Minerals (ASOMM 21) and the 14th ASOMM+3 Meeting. The ASOMM offers a forum for ASEAN ministers to discuss measures to strengthen cooperation in mining within the 10-member grouping, specifically support for industrialisation programmes in each member country. Vietnam’s hosting of AMMin 8 and related meetings holds political, diplomatic and environmental significance at national, regional and global levels. It proves that Vietnam is a responsible member of the international community which has seriously observed international commitments and been ready to engage in joint efforts in mining, according to the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam./.