Senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta on February 2 to discuss preparations for the 32nd ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC-32) Meeting and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMMR).

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son met with his Cambodian, Philippine and Malaysian counterparts on the sidelines of the ACC-32, VNA reported Saturday.

During their meeting, FM Son and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn were pleased with the fruitful developments of the bilateral relationship in recent times, and agreed to continue promoting the exchange of high-level visits via all channels, enhancing people-to-people exchange; maintaining and optimizing the effectiveness of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms; fostering economic connections; strengthening cooperation between localities, especially those that share borders; and exerting effort to speed up tourism recovery.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (L) and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn. Photo: BNG

They also agreed to accelerate negotiations towards completing the remaining 16% of the land border demarcation and marker planting in order to build a common borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation, and sustainable development between the two nations; and closely coordinate at regional and international forums as well as sub-regional mechanisms, and support each other's candidacy to multilateral organizations.

Sokhonn thanked Vietnam for supporting Cambodia to successfully fulfil its role of ASEAN Chair 2022.

He said the two sides should further strengthen economic-trade cooperation, focusing on important areas that are strengths of the two sides, while affirming Cambodia will continue to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese investors and businesses doing business in Cambodia.

FM Son suggested Sokhonn continue to pay attention to and support the Vietnamese community.

Son took the occasion to invite the Cambodian official to pay an official visit to Vietnam and co-chair the 20th Joint Commission meeting in the first quarter of 2023.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) meets with his Philippine counterpart Enrique A. Manalo. Photo: VNA

In their meeting, FM Son and his Philippine counterpart Enrique A. Manalo emphasized the need to enhance mutual high-level visits and meetings, especially working closely to ensure the success of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr’s visit to Vietnam in 2023.

They also agreed to urge relevant agencies of the two countries to soon resume bilateral cooperation mechanisms interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, including the organization of the 10th meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation at the ministerial level.

Minister Manalo emphasized the need to effectively implement action programs to boost the Vietnam-Philippines Strategic Partnership in the 2019-2024 period, towards the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership while noting that the two sides should expand cooperation in the fields of climate change, green growth, circular economy, digital transformation, and e-commerce.

FM Son suggested the two sides limit the imposition of trade barriers on each other's goods and open the market for the two countries' key export products while fully tapping advantages brought by free trade agreements (FTAs) that both nations are joining, towards lifting their two-way trade to USD 10 billion.

Manalo highly appreciated Vietnam's commitment to maintaining rice exports to the Philippines and assisting the country in ensuring food security.

The two ministers also agreed to further expand cooperation in naval and coast guard, search and rescue, and response to oil spills at sea, as well as in marine environment protection and scientific research; and soon organize the 10th meeting of the joint working group on sea and ocean affairs.

They affirmed that they will continue to actively cooperate to solve issues related to fishermen and boats in the spirit of humanity and good friendship between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to strengthen coordination and actively support each other at international and regional organizations and forums, especially the United Nations and ASEAN; and promote solidarity and maintain ASEAN's central role in major issues related to security and interests of each country and the region.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea as well as settling disputes on the basis of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS); and closely coordinating with other ASEAN countries in effectively implementing the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and promoting the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) and Malaysian FM Dato’s Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir. Photo: BNG

Meeting with Malaysian FM Dato’s Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir, FM Son affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to and wishes to further promote the strategic partnership with Malaysia.

For his part, Kadir said Vietnam's economy has grown impressively even during the pandemic, and Malaysia has also benefited from this in economic cooperation with Vietnam.

The two ministers agreed to continue promoting the implementation of cooperation programs approved by the two countries' senior leaders within the framework of the action program to strengthen the Strategic Partnership in 2021-2025, especially in economic, trade, and investment cooperation, towards elevating two-way trade to USD 18 billion by 2025.

The two nations will also strengthen coordination and support each other at regional and international forums, especially ensuring ASEAN's common stance in the South China Sea issue, ensuring the full implementation of the DOC, and soon reaching a practical and effective COC in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno at the meeting. Photo: VNA

Vietnam will work with other ASEAN member states to discuss, and agree on processes, procedures and necessary measures to support Timor Leste to become an official member of the group soon, FM Son said during a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno.

The two sides agreed to promote the exchange of delegations at all levels, soon hold the first meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation at the ministerial level as agreed in the Framework Agreement on Technical and Economic Cooperation in April 2010, implement signed agreements, and accelerate negotiations and signing of new agreements in order to boost tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchange.

The Timor Leste minister spoke highly of Vietnam's important socio-economic development achievements and said that leaders of Timor Leste are very pleased with the investment of Vietnam’s telecoms group Viettel in Timor Leste, which contributes to the local development.

There is great potential for the two nations to expand cooperation in trade, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, she said.

She affirmed that she would work to promote cooperation between the two countries in the coming time, not only in the bilateral channels but also within ASEAN.

On this occasion, FM Son had short meetings with his counterparts of Indonesia, Laos, Singapore and Brunei to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations.

At the Foreign Ministers dinner at Langit Senayan Rooftop, Plataran Senayan, on the occasion of the 32nd ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ (AMM) Retreat.

ASEAN should maintain a balanced, harmonious approach to partners

FM Son on February 4 emphasized the need for ASEAN to maintain a balanced and harmonious approach to its partners, promote the effectiveness and value of ASEAN-led mechanisms, and better the building of mutual trust and understanding for cooperation in response to emerging issues.

Addressing the in Jakarta, Indonesia, Son said that initiatives in the region should come from the goodwill of cooperation, complementarity, and reciprocity to ASEAN-led mechanisms, thus contributing to the common goal of peace, security, stability and development.

Sharing common concerns about unpredictable regional and international fluctuations, the Vietnamese minister stressed that ASEAN needs to maintain solidarity, self-reliance and flexible adaptation, strengthen internal resources, and promote its centrality.

He reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, emphasizing the necessity for the group to strengthen its principle stance, and uphold international law and the 1982 UNCLOS, towards a rules-based regional maritime order, and effectively protecting the legitimate interests of all coastal states.

On this occasion, Son announced Vietnam's plans to hold several meetings within the ASEAN-China framework on the implementation of the Declaration on the DOC, as well as the Republic of Korea Day in ASEAN.

Regarding the Myanmar issue, he shared the view that Myanmar people should solve the Myanmar issue, and it is essential for ASEAN to effectively implement the five-point consensus to help the nation overcome difficulties.

He also expressed his belief that Indonesia, as the ASEAN Chair in 2023, and Redno Marsudi, as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, will be successful in leading the implementation of this consensus.

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