Hanoi (VNA) – As the Asia–EuropeMeeting (ASEM) enters the third decade, it is time to build a vision for a responsibleand responsive ASEM as a champion for multilateral cooperation, said a seniorVietnamese official.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign MinisterPham Binh Minh made the remark while addressing the first plenary session of the13th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which convened in Myanmar’s capital cityof Nay Pyi Taw on November 20.

In his speech, Minh urged Europe and Asia tocontinue taking the lead in maintaining the world peace and stability, promotingdialogue, confidence-building and preventive diplomacy, and upholdinginternational law.

“As key drivers of economic growth andinnovation in the 21st century, Asia and Europe have full ability andresponsibility to champion for 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,” he added.

The official also suggested thecollaboration cover sustainable and inclusive growth, poverty eradication, climatechange, disaster risk reduction, sustainable management of natural resources,food – water – energy security, and development of global value chains andsupply chains, among other arenas.

Minh recalled commitments made by APEC leadersat their meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, noting that they “upheld the core valuesof APEC of free and open trade and investment and its continued support for themultilateral trading system.”

“The Golden Anniversary of ASEAN, prospectsof finalising the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) next yearand the new Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)have provided fresh dynamism for deepened regional economic integration,” hesaid.

The official affirmed that Vietnam willcontinue working closely with ASEM partners for peace, sustainable development,and to build a vision for a responsible and responsive ASEM in the next decade.

“To that end, Vietnam, together withMyanmar, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands, will organisethe ‘ASEM Conference on Climate Action to Achieving the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals – Ways Forward’ next year,” Minh concluded.

At the first session, themed “Synergising Peaceand Sustainable Development”, participants agreed to boost dialogue, securitycooperation, multilateralism, and democracy in line with the UN Charter andinternational law.

Participants voiced their support for arule-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation at itscore toward sustainable and inclusive growth.

They also committed to the implementationof the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in Europe and Asia and Parisclimate agreement, with a focus on poverty eradication, climate changeadaptation, technology transfer, and building capacity for developingcountries, among others.

The second plenary session, which revolvedaround boosting partnerships for the third-decade development of ASEM, tookplace in the afternoon the same day. The function stressed the preservation ofcore values and principles on equality, and mutual respect and benefits, withdiscussion concentrating on regional connectivity across the spheres ofinfrastructure, institutions and human resources.

Since 1996, ASEM has become an important dialoguemechanism between the two continents, bringing together 53 members, includingfour permanent members of the UN Security Council and 12 members of the groupof the world’s 20 largest developing and emerging markets (G20). ASEM makes up68 percent of population and contributes about 55 percent of the GDP and nearly60 percent of trade globally.-VNA