Singapore (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister PhamBinh Minh met with his counterparts from the Republic of Korea (RoK), Laos,Indonesia and Malaysia on the sidelines of the 51st ASEAN ForeignMinisters Meeting (AMM-51) and related meetings in Singapore on August 1.

Atthe meeting with the RoK’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa, Minh expressed hishope that the two sides would continue work together closely to implement importantagreements reached during Korean President Moon Jae-in’s state visit to Vietnamin March 2018.

Hetook this occasion to reiterate the invitation to the Korean leader to attendthe World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2018 scheduled to take place in Vietnam inSeptember.

Minhapplauded agreements reached at recent meetings between leaders of the RoK andthe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as well as between leaders ofthe DPRK and the US.

Vietnamis willing to coordinate and promote its role in accelerating dialogue,cooperation and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula in a bid to ensurepeace, stability and prosperity in the region, he stressed.

Havingnoted that Vietnam is the biggest partner of the RoK in the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Kang highly evaluated Vietnam’s role and hopedthat Vietnam would continue supporting peace and denuclearization on the Koreanpeninsula.

Meetingwith Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Minh once again extended hissympathy to leaders of the Lao Party, State, Government and people over greatlosses caused by the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam andbelieved that local residents in affected areas would overcome the aftermathand stabilize their live soon.

Bothministers highly appraised the increasingly close and practical relationshipbetween the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs and agreed to well prepare forand effectively carry out the regular consultation mechanisms at the foreignminister and deputy minister levels.

Thetwo ministers consented to increase the exchange of information and closelycoordinate with each other at regional and international forums as well aswithin sub-regional mechanisms.

Theyagreed to work with other ASEAN members to deepen the ASEAN Community’scooperation process, strengthen solidarity, and enhance the bloc’s centralityand common voice in strategic matters of the region, including the East Seaissue.

Atthe meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, the two officialsnoted with pleasure that the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership isdeveloping fruitfully.

Theyagreed to coordinate together more closely to implement the important resultsreached during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Indonesia inAugust 2017 and the 3rd meeting of the Vietnam-Indonesia Bilateral CooperationCommittee in April 2018, and prepare for the upcoming high-level visits.

Thetwo ministers emphasized the need to further boost economic and trade cooperationin an effort to elevate bilateral trade to 10 billion USD in 2020.

Marsudiwelcomed Minh’s proposals on practical measures to step up bilateral ties,including the signing of cooperation deals on trade, agriculture-fishery,security, defence and crime prevention.

Theypromised to coordinate closely at regional and international forums, reinforceASEAN’s solidarity, maintain the bloc’s central role and common voice inregional issues, including the East Sea matter, and work together to promptASEAN and China to soon build a effective and practical Code of Conduct (COC)in the East Sea.

Marsudithanked Vietnam for supporting Indonesia’s candidacy for a non-permanent seatin the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2019-2020 term and reiteratedher country’s backing for Vietnam’s bid to run for non-permanent membership ofthe UNSC in 2020-2021 tenure.

Meetingwith Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, Minh expected that the twoforeign ministries would coordinate more closely, especially in holdingcelebrations for the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Minhsuggested Malaysia create favourable conditions for Vietnamese products such asrice and farm produce to enter the Malaysian market in addition to promotingcooperation in the field of oil and gas and receiving more Vietnamese guestworkers.

Saifuddinexpressed his wish that Malaysia and Vietnam would further boost cooperativeties in politics-diplomacy and economy-trade and affirmed that Malaysia isready to coordinate with Vietnam in regional issues in order to ensuresolidarity, unanimity and ASEAN’s centrality.-VNA