Vietnam – a founder of ASEM
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) process was established in March 1996 on the initiative of Singapore and with the support of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

As a founder of the grouping, Vietnam’s active role and engagement in this cooperation process has enabled the country to continuously implement the external policy of diversifying and multilateralising relations, support bilateral relations and boost multilateral diplomacy. Vietnam has the chance to boost trade and investment cooperation, technology transfer, human resource development, and cultural and education exchanges for the sake of national development. In addition, the country has the chance to build a set of common rules for Asia and Europe to promote peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two continents and the world.  

Active cooperation in various fields
Vietnam has made significant contributions to ASEM since it was established 10 years ago. Politically, Vietnam raised its role and prestige in the international arena by hosting the fifth ASEM successfully in Hanoi in 2004. At the summit, Vietnam performed well to harmonise the interests among ASEM member countries and help out with Myanmar’s successful admission to the grouping, further strengthening solidarity among ASEM member countries and putting the process on the right track.

Economically, the fifth ASEM summit adopted the Hanoi Declaration on Closer ASEM Economic Partnership, detailing future economic cooperation orientations among ASEM member countries. On the one hand, Vietnam’s hosting of the ninth Asia-Europe Business Forum prior to ASEM 5 helped promote dialogue channels between the business community and the Governments, and on the other hand, created the prerequisite for the hosting of similar forums in the future.

Financially, Vietnamese ministries and agencies have so far made the most of the ASEM Trust Fund (ATF) to effectively implement 21 projects valued at nearly US$13.35 million, focusing on financial and banking reform, enterprise equitisation, hunger and poverty reduction and social welfare reform. These projects have been highly valued.

In the field of cultural cooperation, Vietnam has actively joined in carrying out many activities in the framework of the ASEM process, including its co-initiative with France “ASEM Cooperation on Protection and promotion of Cultural Heritage among ASEM Countries”, which was adopted by the second ASEM summit in London in April 1998. 

With regard to healthcare, Vietnam was the first country to put forth the initiative on healthcare among ASEM titled” ASEM Cooperation in Combination of Traditional and Modern Medicine for Public Health Care. The initiative, which was adopted at the second Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Berlin in 1999, received strong acclaim from ASEM member countries. Vietnam and China co-sponsored the initiative on “ASEM Seminar on Management of Public Health Emergency”, which was adopted at the fifth Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in 2004, with the aim of not only promoting Vietnam’s medical potential but also meeting the requirements of ASEM member countries in the face of complicated epidemics in the globalisation.

Together with Sweden and Finland, Vietnam put forth the initiative “ASEM Cooperation on HIV/AIDS Control”, which was adopted at the fifth ASEM summit in Hanoi in October 2005 and held in HCM City in November 2005.

In the field of transportation, the initiative to hold an ASEM workshop on the Asia-Europe silk railway has helped open up prospects for linking the railway network between Asia and Europe. Vietnam has closely co-operated with their members in the field of environment, science and technology. In co-ordination with the EC, it organised the ASEM conference on Hanoi clean technologies in September 2004. Currently, Vietnam is busy preparing for the ICT Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for December, and participating in activities of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) with the aim of promoting cooperation in education and culture.