Vietnam advocates building ASEAN-Canada free trade area

Upon addressing the event as part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Vietnamese diplomat praised Canada’s desire to further deepen ties with ASEAN as a way of contributing to the bloc’s common efforts to maintain peace, stability, and development in the region.

He therefore suggested that the North American country assist the bloc in timely and fully gaining access to COVID-19 vaccines, intensify specific measures aimed at helping regional countries deal with the impact of the pandemic, and ramp up recovery and development efforts.

Minister Son also proposed accelerating joint work regarding women, peace, and security.
Maintaining peace, security, freedom of navigation, and aviation freedom in the East Sea can be viewed as a benefit and responsibility of many countries, including ASEAN and Canada, he emphasised.

Outlining ASEAN’s consistent principled stance on the East Sea, the local diplomat underscored the importance of building trust, showing self-restraint, avoiding militarisation, and seeking a peaceful settlement to disputes. Indeed, this should be done in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He added that ASEAN is actively working alongside China in order to build an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS. He therefore suggested that Canada continue supporting ASEAN’s efforts with regard to this issue.

Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau noted his desire to boost ties with ASEAN, participate in ASEAN-led co-operation mechanisms more deeply, along with launching talks on a free trade agreement between ASEAN and Canada in the near future.

ASEAN member states praised Canada’s donation of CAD3.5 million, equivalent to US$2.8 million, to the ASEAN COVID-19 response fund over the next five years and a medical supplies package worth CAD4.5 million to the bloc.

Both sides consented to prioritise giving mutual support as a means of coping with the pandemic, mitigate the negative impact caused by it, whilst also promoting a comprehensive and sustainable recovery.

They pledged to accelerate economic, trade, and investment collaboration whilst stably maintaining supply chain linkage. This year both parties will launch talks on the free trade area and carry out an action plan for the 2021 to 2025 period.

Canada has promised to move forward with programmes relating to education-training, high-quality human resource development, support for businesses, disaster management, the application of innovation technology, cyber security, digital economic, sustainable development, and climate change response.

The pair also pledged to hold celebrations for the 45th anniversary of the ASEAN-Canada partnership next year.

In terms of regional and global issues of shared concern, both sides highlighted the importance of maintaining peace, security, and stability in the region, especially in the East Sea in the current context.

Canada supports ASEAN in stepping up co-operation, dialogues, building regional trust, upholding international law, building a rules-based regional order, and addressing disputes in a peaceful manner in line with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and completing a COC.

Canada therefore welcomed ASEAN for actively promoting reconciliation and dialogue efforts, assisting Myanmar in seeking measures to stabilise their domestic situation, while emphasizing its support for the bloc to successfully realise Five-Point Consensus reached by ASEAN leaders.