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PM: Enhancing the capacity and resilience of ASEAN
By Anh Kiet 15:21, 2016/09/07
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that each country member has interests and responsibilities in strengthening ASEAN solidarity and unity, a harmonious combination of national interests with the interests of ASEAN - a Community with common destiny.
On September 6 afternoon, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc his spouse led a Vietnamese delegation to join other leaders from ASEAN member states at the 28th & 29th ASEAN Summits and related high-level meetings in Vientiane, Laos. PM Phuc is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, and other officials. The visit is made at the invitation of Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.

Emphasizing compliance with international law

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has underscored the need to enhance ASEAN’s capacity and self-reliance as well as uphold the bloc’s central role, considering them crucial to ASEAN’s success.
 
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh attended the ASEAN Summit
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh attended the ASEAN Summit
In a speech delivered to the plenary session of the 28th ASEAN Summit that opened in Vientiane, Laos on September 6, the PM urged the ASEAN member states to strengthen consultations and raise a common voice on regional issues directly impacting regional security and development as well as orientations to relationship with partners and the regional architecture. He asked for identifying priorities to the implementation of the ASEAN Vision 2025 and action plans for each pillar.

On the political-security pillar, ASEAN needs to promote trust-building activities, preventive diplomatic measures, ASEAN’s code of conduct, and law abidance, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, contributing to maintaining peace and security by working closely together to prevent risks of conflict in the region and cope with non-traditional security challenges, particularly terrorism and cyber security.

In the economic field, priority should be given to facilitating trade, improving the business and investment climate, developing small- and medium-sized enterprises in added value and technological sectors, increasing coordination in macro-economic supervision and financial-monetary stability, he said.

The government leader called for intensifying cultural and people-to-people exchanges, personnel training, environment protection, climate change response, and disaster control. On bolstering connectivity and narrowing the development gap, he suggested developing road and railway networks, improving maritime and aviation capabilities, as well as integration capacity of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

At the session, ASEAN leaders stressed the need to retain unity and improve the efficiency of operating mechanisms to bring practical benefits for the bloc’s people. Later, they held dialogues with representatives from the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Council, the ASEAN Youth Organisation and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council.

Towards the 50 th founding anniversary of ASEAN next year, the PM said Vietnam vows to take practical and effective actions and do more for the bloc. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc suggested intensifying propaganda activities, promoting and encouraging the active participation of citizens, businesses and social strata, creating the consensus and support for ASEAN cooperation.

In the afternoon the same day, leaders attended ceremonies to sign the ASEAN Declaration on One ASEAN, One Response: ASEAN Responding to Disasters as One in the Region and Outside the Region, adopt the Master Plan on 2025 ASEAN Connectivity and the third phase of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan, and debut the “Visit ASEAN@50” campaign logo.

Participants are due to attend the 29 th ASEAN Summit, the ASEAN+1 Summit with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and the United Nations, the ASEAN+3 Summit and the Mekong-Japan Summit on September 7.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Lao PM
 
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc had meeting with Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc had meeting with Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith

Same day on September 6, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc held separate meeting with Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith on the sidelines of the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits and related meetings.

At the meeting with the Lao counterpart, PM Phuc praised the role of Laos as Chair of ASEAN and its active contributions to ASEAN cooperation, especially in establishing the ASEAN Community, narrowing the development gap and responding to non-traditional security challenges.

Viet Nam advocates Laos to fulfill its tasks as the Chair of the ASEAN Summits and related meetings, contributing to strengthening solidarity within ASEAN for international and regional peace, cooperation and development.

The two sides applauded the achievements in the two nations’ comprehensive relationship, agreeing to accelerate measures to enhance cooperation, especially in terms of economics, trade and investment.

They consented to effectively launch inked agreements, including the Viet Nam-Lao Free Trade Agreement and Border Trade Agreement, which was signed in 2015.

Laos will closely cooperate with Viet Nam, other nations in ASEAN and partners to ensure solidarity in ASEAN and uphold active achievements to make contribution to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.

Vietnam, Philippines to enhance cooperation in East Sea
 
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte
After the opening ceremory, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc held separate meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. The Vietnamese PM and Philippine President affirmed to attach importance to the Strategic Partnership between the two nations, lauding developments in the two nations’ cooperation.

The Philippine President thanked Viet Nam for ensuring food for the Philippines in disadvantaged and natural calamity cases, expressing his hope to strengthen cooperation with Viet Nam in the framework of Strategic Partnership relations, expanding cooperation in preventing human trafficking, protecting migrant laborers, and other areas in fields of society and culture.

Both sides highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and security, stepping up cooperation, and handling disputes by peaceful measures in compliance with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, in the East Sea and consented to work together for those goals.

The leaders also exchanged ways to promote the two countries’ coordination through the foreign ministries’ relationship and other cooperative mechanisms, giving priority to economics, trade and investment.

The two countries will continue supporting each other when Viet Nam assumes the APEC Chair and the Philippines takes on the ASEAN Presidency in 2017, they said. PM Phuc invited President Duterte to visit Viet Nam and the Philippine President accepted the invitation.
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