AMM-53 covers 20 ministerial and related meetings

Deputy Foreign Minister and head of Vietnam's ASEAN SOM Nguyen Quoc Dung answered reporters’ queries regarding preparations and agenda for the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-53) and related meetings at a press conference in Hanoi on September 7.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh will chair AMM 53 and related meetings from September 9-12, with the participation of ASEAN Foreign Ministers and partners (China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the US, Russia, the EU, India, Australia, New Zealand,  and Canada, and ASEAN Secretary General.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is scheduled to deliver an opening speech on September 9, Dung said, adding that within the framework of the event, there will be about 20 conferences and ministerial meetings such as the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, the Deputy FM said.

Concerning the possibility to establish new partnership between ASEAN and partners within the framework of the meeting, Dung said ASEAN now has three partnership levels, including full dialogue partnership, dialogue partnership in areas and development partnership. The bloc has received proposals from countries at all the above levels.

Recently, the UK proposed establishing full dialogue partnership while Morocco and the United Arab Emirates were also interested in setting up dialogue partnership in areas with the grouping. Several countries also suggested joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). All proposed are being considered by ASEAN.

Regarding the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Vietnamese diplomat said as RCEP is one of the priorities of the bloc. Vietnam has actively accelerated negotiations for signing the agreement later this year in its capacity as ASEAN Chair.

Vietnam hopes that at ASEAN ministers’ meetings, especially those discussing economic affairs, terms of the deal will be reached and signed, he said.

Sharing Vietnam’s expectations at AMM-53 and related meetings when the region and the world are coping with new non-traditional security challenges such as COVID-19, Dung said the pandemic response is part of the meeting’s agenda.

Since early this year, ASEAN has strived to combat the pandemic with various new initiatives. Additionally, challenges arising from climate change, terrorism, security and safety at sea and protection of fishermen will also be touched upon.

With regard to negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) at the meeting, Dung said the COC continues to be a priority of both ASEAN and China. Talks on the issue have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the two sides discussed ways to resume negotiations as well as upcoming goals.

On the afternoon of September 12, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh is due to chair an international press conference on the outcomes of the AMM-53 and related meetings.