PM Phuc meets partners at ASEAN related summits

In his address at the ASEAN-Canada 40th Anniversary Commemorative Summit, PM Phuc accentuated three priority areas of coordination with a focus on improving MSMEs’ capacity; enhancing connectivity, including human connectivity; and coping with challenges regarding climate change, terrorism, extreme violence and maritime security. 

He asked Canada to help ASEAN improving its capacity of ensuring maritime security, training law specialists and shares its experience in settling disputes at sea in line with international law. 

Canada pledged to work hand in hand with ASEAN to effectively carry out the 2016-2020 Action Plan and enhance the bloc’s central role in evolving regional architecture via ASEAN-led mechanisms. 

ASEAN leaders also acknowledged Canada’s proposal to partake in the 12th East Asia Summit (EAS 12) and the ASEAN Defence Ministerial Meeting Plus (ADMM+) and consider the possibility of signing an ASEAN-Canada trade agreement in the future. 

At the ASEAN 3 Summit, PM Phuc greatly valued ties with partner countries and praised their commitments to building the ASEAN Community and upholding its central role in the region. 

The Vietnamese government leader urged member states of the ASEAN 3 to bolster cooperation in coping with emerging security challenges, including transnational crime, climate change, disaster and epidemics management. 

He suggested that the ASEAN 3 mechanism should further spur regional economic growth, especially in trade, finance, infrastructure, narrowing development gap, connecting  and improving micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)’ capacity. 

Leaders pledged to continue augumenting collaboration in politics, economy, finance, socio-culture, people-to-people exchanges, business connectivity, and towards building the East Asia Community. 

Chinese, Japanese and RoK leaders reiterated their commitments to regional cooperation, trade liberalisation, digital economic development and infrastructure connectivity. They showed their wish to finalize negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) soon.

The summit adopted the Manila Declaration on the 20th Anniversary of ASEAN 3 Cooperation, the ASEAN 3 Leaders’ Statement on Food Security Cooperation and took note of the Report on the implementation of the Action Plan on ASEAN 3 Cooperation and the Action Plan on ASEAN 3 Economic Cooperation adopted by the ASEAN 3 Ministerial Meeting in August 2017. 

In his speech at the ASEAN-EU 40th Anniversary Commemorative Summit, PM Phuc said the ASEAN and EU should coordinate closely to implement economic-trade cooperation programmes, and cope with natural disasters as well as traditional and non-traditional security challenges. 

On regional and global issues of shared concern, he affirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance on the denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula as well as the ASEAN’s viewpoint on the East Sea issue, particularly principles mentioned in the Joint Communiqué of the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in August 2017. 

He assured Vietnam's readiness to join other ASEAN member states to actively contribute to peace, stability and development in the region, PM Phuc stressed. 

The same day, ASEAN leaders attended EAS 12 with eight partner countries including China, Japan, the RoK, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the US, the 15th ASEAN-India Summit, signed the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, attended the closing ceremony of the 31st ASEAN Summit and witnessed the transfer of ASEAN Chairmanship to Singapore.