According to information released on Feb. 4 by the RoK’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part his attendance at the meeting, Minister Son will pay an official visit to the RoK from Feb. 8 to Feb. 12.

Both countries are set to hold a foreign ministerial meeting on Feb. 10 as a way of discussing ways to step up bilateral co-operation in the lead up to the two countries 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Son will attend the OECD-run SEARP Program on Feb. 9.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. Photo: VNA

Inaugurated by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe at the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in May 2014, the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme aims to support the region in their domestic priorities, policy reforms and regional integration efforts.

The programme held its first Ministerial Conference in March 2018, to discuss issues on Inclusive ASEAN, and the next phase of the Programme.

SEARP remains one of the five regional programmes specifically for non-member countries that promote OECD values and support membership.

An OECD member and a non-member country will serve as co-chairs, with the RoK and Thailand co-chairing the scheme from 2018 to the present.

Senior officials from 10 ASEAN member states, along with Mathias Cormann, secretary-general of OECD, will participate in this meeting via both in-person and online formats.

The first session of high-level policy dialogue programme on digital technology will be hosted by Young-sook, economic advisor of the RoK Presidential Office and chair of the Special Committee for New Southern Policy.

Furthermore, the second session discussing green growth will be chaired by Andrea Schaal, director of Global Relations at OECD.

Vietnam and Australia have been officially nominated as co-chairs of the OECD-run SEARP for 2022-2025, replacing Thailand and the RoK, according to VNA.

The nomination was decided at the eighth meeting of the Steering Group of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme held in the form of videoconference in December 2021.

Vietnam is the third nation in Southeast Asia to work as co-chair of the programme, after Indonesia and Thailand, which demonstrates efforts in implementing the directive of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on enhancing and advancing multilateral diplomacy by 2030.

The position would help Vietnam prove its international role and responsibility, while utilising OECD’s consultancy and support for the country’s development goals.

The nomination also reflects OECD’s trust in Vietnam’s capacity to connect the organisation with the Southeast Asian region in areas of shared concern.

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