Vietnam welcomes ASEAN-US maritime co-operation

Leaders in attendance discussed maritime security, disease control, economic recovery, response to climate change, and many other matters of regional and global importance.

The United States, led by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, announced a number of proposals and initiatives for further co-operation with ASEAN, including a US$40 million grant to finance the development of clean energy infrastructure and a US$60 million project to boost maritime co-operation. This is in addition to a US$150 million scheme to implement the ASEAN-US Health Future initiative and enhance the bloc’s climate change response capacity and a US$70 million grant for education programmes and people-to-people exchanges.

ASEAN leaders thanked the US for its proactive support in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, including rolling out vaccines and establishing the Southeast Asia Regional Office of the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Hanoi. Moving forward, they anticipated that the US would continue its support in pandemic prevention initiatives.

Given regional and global complications, both sides vowed to work closely together to contribute to maintaining peace, security, and stability in the region, including security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, known as the East Sea in Vietnam.

The US voiced its support for ASEAN’s position on the East Sea, whilst welcoming the bloc’s efforts to promote co-operation, dialogue, and confidence-building in the region, as well as its efforts to build an effective and efficient Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

With regard to the current situation in Myanmar, participating leaders called for the timely and complete implementation of the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar as adopted at the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in April, 2021. They voiced their continued support for the bloc’s efforts to facilitate a peaceful solution in the interest of the people of Myanmar, including through the work of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar in an attempt to build confidence and trust with full access to all parties concerned, whilst effectively delivering humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar, including those who are the most in need, without discrimination.

Exchanging views on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, leaders called on all concerned parties to exercise restraint, maintain dialogue efforts to find a lasting solution on the basis of compliance with international law, take into account the legitimate interests of the parties, and ensure the safety of civilians. They emphasised the observance of basic principles of the UN Charter and international law, as well as the peaceful settlement of disagreements and disputes.

Vietnamese PM addresses working sessions

Addressing the working sessions, PM Chinh noted that ASEAN-US co-operation has made great strides over the past 45 years, significantly contributing to promoting dialogue, building trust, and maintaining peace, security, stability, and development in the region.

Amidst unpredictable situations regionally and globally, the PM emphasised the necessity of continuing to promote sincere dialogue on the basis of trust and responsibility, solidarity, and co-operation, while joining hands to control disagreements and uphold the rule of law I order to build a world of peace, stability, co-operation, and prosperous development.

He expressed hope that major powers and ASEAN’s partners would stabilise their relations, compete in a healthy and responsible manner, and at the same time contribute to the region.

The Vietnamese PM reaffirmed the country’s strong support for ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea, emphasising the peaceful settlement of all disputes and differences on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. He welcomed all parties’ views regarding the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as the formulation of the COC in accordance with international law.

PM Chinh also welcomed US initiatives to strengthen maritime co-operation with the region. He emphasised that countries, including ASEAN member states and the US, share the same interests in ensuring peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation, and overflight in the East Sea, particularly as it is the world’s lifeline for maritime trade.

With regard to control of the COVID-19, the Vietnamese leader proposed that the US continue to help the bloc in disease prevention activities, especially technology transfer in the production of vaccines and therapeutic drugs, as well as in improving medical capacity and overall quality of medical human resources.

He expected that the US would further promote co-operation within the framework of the Mekong-US Partnership to contribute to ensuring development quality and supporting equitable and sustainable development in the region.

He also praised the countries’ efforts to co-operate in responding to climate change, through economic structural transformation, application of scientific and technical advances, development of renewable energy, and promotion of clean energy transformation, along with building high-quality infrastructure to move towards green and sustainable development.

At the conclusion of the summit, ASEAN and US leaders adopted a Joint Vision Statement that reviews the dialogue relationship between the two sides over the past 45 years and sets future directions, including upgrading their relationship to a level of comprehensive strategic partnership later this year.