Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyễn Quốc Dũng, head of the Asean Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) Vietnam, speaks at the 32nd ASEAN–Australia Forum, which was held in the form of an online conference on Monday (May 18, 2020).
HA NOI – Vietnam will work closely with other Asean countries and partners, including Australia, to maintain Asean's activities through teleconferences to continue to actively promote orientations and priorities for cooperation set out in 2020, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyễn Quốc Dũng said.
He made the statement at the 32nd ASEAN–Australia Forum, which was held on Monday in the form of an online conference.
In his speech, Dũng, head of the Asean Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) Vietnam, said together with efforts to cope with the disease, the country would collaborate with other partners on implementation of the Community Vision 2025, strengthen Asean mechanisms, develop the Mekong sub-region, and expand partnerships for peace and sustainable development.
He emphasized Asean’s proactive and timely efforts and its close coordination with partners in coping with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and minimizing the socio-economic impacts caused by the pandemic.
Dũng proposed cooperation orientations between Asean and Australia in preventing and controlling Covid-19, ensuring support for citizens affected by the disease, minimizing its impacts on socio-economic development, and preparing post-epidemic recovery and development plans.
He cited the need to effectively utilize existing development cooperation programs within the Asean-Australia cooperation framework in these efforts.
Dũng urged countries to enhance solidarity and respect for the rule of law, and build trust in order to ensure an environment of peace, safety and stability to facilitate cooperation.
As an annual meeting at the Deputy Foreign Ministerial level, the conference aimed to review the process of cooperation and discuss measures to promote the Asean-Australia partnership, especially their coordination to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Representatives from Asean member nations and Australia updated information related to disease prevention measures and experiences.
The two sides agreed to promote sharing of information, experience and technical assistance, and help each other to improve their ability to cope with future disease outbreaks.
They pledged to support citizens affected by the pandemic, exert efforts to minimize its impacts on socio-economic development, and coordinate policies to prepare post-epidemic recovery plans.
Both sides affirmed their commitment to promoting their strategic partnership, especially in this difficult time, in order to overcome challenges caused by the pandemic, thus further strengthening cooperation.
They agreed to continue promoting the Plan of Action to implement the Asean-Australia Strategic Partnership (2020-24), emphasized their support for an open, fair, rules-based international multilateral trading system towards upgrading the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement in 2020. (VNS)
