PM attends ASEAN summits with partners in Cambodia

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of other ASEAN members and partners attended the 25th ASEAN+3 (China, the Republic of Korea, Japan) Summit and other summits with India and Australia in Phnom Penh on November 12.

Along with reviewing the cooperation process, the leaders discussed and outlined orientations for the development of relations between ASEAN and its partners. They exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern and coordination to respond to emerging challenges.

The partners reaffirmed their support for ASEAN centrality, active participation in and contributions to ASEAN-led mechanisms, shaping of an open, inclusive, transparent regional architecture and upholding international law.

At the 25th ASEAN+3 Summit, the leaders highly appreciated the importance of ASEAN+3 cooperation on the occasion of its 25th anniversary in 2022, making positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and cooperation and development in East Asia.

Participants stressed the need to continue to work closely together to effectively control the COVID-19. They agreed on the necessity to promote the opening of markets and the resumption of trade activities as well as trade facilitation.

In his speech  at the ASEAN+3 Summit, PM Chinh stressed that in the current context, the ASEAN and the three partners should take the leading role and stay persistent to multilateralism, trade facilitation and the opening of doors for all chances.

He hailed the cooperation of the ASEAN and partners in the pandemic fight over the past two years, especially the provision of vaccines and medical equipment by China, Japan and the RoK to ASEAN countries.

Regarding future cooperation orientations, the Vietnamese cabinet leader underlined the need to give top priority to safe trade resumption and the reopening of economies, and showed support to the establishment of an ASEAN+3 green growth cooperation mechanism.

He pledged that Vietnam will do its utmost for peace, stability and prosperity of ASEAN+3 countries, and proposed the countries to continue to promote the spirit of straightforward dialogue, friendly neighbourliness, harmonised interest and shared risk, contributing to creating healthy, rules-based competition, minimising conflicts, and preventing conflicts.

At the 19th ASEAN-India Summit, the leaders consented to ensure the continuity of trade and investment flows, give priority to speeding up recovery, support each other to improve healthcare capacity, and promote sustainable maritime cooperation.

Upon addressing the event, PM Chinh underlined that the ASEAN always places great importance on fostering relations with India in multiple fields, suggesting that ASEAN and India coordinate and contribute more responsibly and effectively to peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region, ensuring regional law-based order, equal behaviors, mutual respect and cooperation for common development.

The Vietnamese leader emphasized that the two sides should give high priority to sustainable maritime cooperation, and suggested that India continue to open its door wider for agricultural products of Vietnam and other ASEAN countries.

At the second ASEAN-Australia Summit, the ASEAN leaders and Australian PM Anthony Albanese highlighted the significance of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership that was set up in late 2021, and greatly valued progress in the ties over the years.

ASEAN member states were appreciative of Australia's positive contributions and effective support to the ASEAN Community building process. They thanked Australia for its helpful assistance in controlling and stamping out the COVID-19, as well as the recent 124-million-AUD “Australia for ASEAN Futures” initiative to help regional countries in responding to challenges and boosting recovery development in a sustainable manner.

Leaders of both sides agreed on the need to continue to intensify the exchange of trade and investment, market access support and the fostering of economic connections as well as the promotion of trade facilitation in the region.

Addressing the event, PM Chinh thanked Australia for the effective cooperation and support that the country has given to ASEAN members in the COVID-19 response over the past time. He affirmed Vietnam’s support for Australia's proposal to hold the ASEAN-Australia Summit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations in 2024 in Australia.

In the time ahead, both sides need to work hand in hand to fully restore and promote trade and investment soon.

The Vietnamese cabinet leader suggested that Australia provide technical support and open up its market for ASEAN's agricultural products. He asked for Australia's assistance in boosting strategic infrastructure development, and active implementation of the Mekong-Australia Partnership framework, and support to efforts to promote the growth of the Mekong sub-region, including Vietnam's Mekong Delta region.

Concluding the summit, the ASEAN leaders and Australia adopted a cooperation declaration on the basis of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

With regard to regional and international issues of shared concern, at the summits, leaders of the ASEAN and partners stressed that all states should show the responsibility and share common interest in efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region.

Staying persistent to its stance on the East Sea, ASEAN asked the partners to continue to support efforts to build an effective and substantial Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, heading to the building of an East Sea of peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development.

The partners affirmed their support for the role and efforts by the ASEAN in promoting the effective implementation of the Five-Point Consensus as well as support to Myanmar to seek sustainable and feasible solutions to overcome difficulties and stabilise its situation.

They showed deep concern over the recent developments in the Korean Peninsula and backed efforts to promote peace, stability and complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.