Vietnam co-chairs 4th ASEAN-UK Joint Cooperation Committee meeting
VOV.VN - The 4th ASEAN-UK Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting took place on March 27 at the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, marking Vietnam’s first time chairing the committee as it assumes the role of ASEAN-UK relations coordinator for the 2024-2027 term.
Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN and UK Ambassador to ASEAN Sarah Tiffin co-chaired the session.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed the progress of the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action 2022-2026 and outlined future cooperation directions. Within the dialogue partnership framework, the UK is actively advancing various projects and initiatives across multiple fields. A key highlight is the £40 million Green Transition Programme, which supports ASEAN in emission reduction, green economic growth, and assistance for vulnerable groups.
Additionally, the UK has rolled out several programmes with budgets ranging from £25 million to £30 million, including the ASEAN-UK Economic Integration Programme, the Support to Adolescent Girls' Education (SAGE) initiative, and the Health Security Partnership. Cooperation also extends to areas such as women, peace, and security; science and technology cooperation; and the creative economy.
Now in its fourth year, the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action 2022-2026 has seen 171 out of 181 action lines (approximately 95%) implemented, an increase of over 20 compared to the same period last year. These initiatives span all three cooperation pillars, including politics-security, economics, and socio-cultural. This steady progress underscores both sides’ commitment as they move toward the 5th anniversary of the ASEAN-UK Dialogue Partnership in 2026.
On this occasion, UK Ambassador Sarah Tiffin reaffirmed the UK’s new government’s commitment to supporting ASEAN’s central role. This dedication is evident in newly appointed Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s attendance at the ASEAN-UK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in July 2024, just three weeks after taking office along with a series of upcoming high-level exchanges between ASEAN and the UK.
As Chair of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Task Force, Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong provided updates on ongoing cooperation efforts and encouraged the UK to consider supporting projects under IAI Work Plan IV and beyond. The UK Ambassador welcomed the proposal and reiterated the UK’s commitment to narrowing development gaps and furthering ASEAN integration efforts.
ASEAN delegates commended the UK’s contributions to the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action 2022-2026 and acknowledged the impact of joint initiatives in green transition, economic integration, maritime cooperation, and women, peace, and security.
The ambassadors also encouraged the UK to expand engagement in potential areas such as AI governance, renewable energy (supporting the ASEAN Power Grid), financial services, and human resource development.
Delegates further welcomed the adoption of the ASEAN-UK Foreign Ministers’ Joint Statement on Connectivity in 2024 and expressed their desire to bolster practical cooperation in this area.
On this occasion, Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong announced that Vietnam and the UK will co-host the ASEAN-UK connectivity workshop in Da Nang on April 10, 2025, on the sidelines of the 4th ASEAN-UK Senior Officials’ Meeting.
Vietnamese Party chief's first-ever visit to ASEAN Secretariat
VOV.VN - ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn has hailed Party General Secretary To Lam’s first-ever visit to the ASEAN Secretariat as a historic milestone, underscoring ASEAN’s vital role in Vietnam’s foreign policy.
