Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has just concluded his official visit to Mongolia and his participation in the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEAM 11). Reporters of the People’s Army Newspaper had an interview with Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on the events. The interview is presented below:
Reporter: Can you please elaborate on the remarkable results of the visit to Mongolia of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc?
Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son: This was the first official visit of Prime Minister (PM) Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Mongolia and also the first visit by a PM of Vietnam in the last 12 years. The visit is of special significance, as the two countries have just debuted their new governments, providing an opportunity for the two countries’ leaders to meet and build trust in the bilateral relationship, laying an important basis for the two countries to strengthen traditional friendship and promote multifaceted bilateral relations and cooperation in all fields.
Mongolia considered the Vietnamese leader’s visit an important event and reserved PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his entourage a warm reception. Meetings during the visit took place in the spirit of cooperation, trust, and mutual understanding, reflecting both sides’ wish to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in the realms of economy and trade, in line with potential, political relations and the interests of the two peoples.
The visit was a great success, helping usher in a new era for the bilateral relationship, bringing about the following results:
Firstly, the two sides agreed to maintain delegation exchanges at all levels and improve efficiency of the dialogue mechanism between the two countries to create a favorable environment for comprehensive cooperation.
Secondly, Vietnam and Mongolia agreed to strengthen bilateral economic and trade cooperation, considering it key to bilateral cooperation in the coming time. The two sides also agreed to clear such obstacles to trade cooperation as commodity transport, quarantine procedures, while facilitating the entry of agricultural, forestry and aquaculture products of Vietnam and meat products of Mongolia to each other’s market and promoting cooperation in other sectors of potential such as mining, petroleum exploration, textile and leather processing. The two sides pledged to cooperate closely to make the intergovernmental committee meeting scheduled for this September a success.
The signing of a cooperation agreement between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Mongolian Employers’ Federation as well as the participation of nearly 100 businesses from both countries and the signing of the three cooperation documents at the Vietnam-Mongolia Business Forum will generate a new driving force for cooperation and connection between enterprises of the two countries and help boost trade and tourism cooperation in the coming time.
Thirdly, Vietnam and Mongolia agreed to strengthen cultural exchange, education cooperation and increase the exchange of specialists, cooperation in tourism, labor, and protection of citizens. Mongolia thanked Vietnam for its effective cooperation in the restoration and conservation of Mongolian historical and cultural monuments.
Fourthly, the two sides agreed continue to cooperate and support each other in international and regional forums such as the UN, ASEM, ARF, exchange of initiatives for maintaining peace and stability in the region and the rest of the world, ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea (South China Sea), resolving disputes by peaceful means based on international law, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982), and respecting diplomatic and legal process.
Reporter: ASEM 11 has just been held in Ulaanbaatar, which is considered an ASEM-milestone in its 20 years of history. How do you evaluate the results and significance of the event?
Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son: ASEM 11 took place in the context of the complicated and unpredictable situations of the world in general and the two continents of Asia and Europe in particular. Cooperation, connection and development remain the major trend; however, peace and stability have also been contested in some regions. Terrorism, immigration crisis, political instability, local conflicts, territorial and maritime disputes, etc. have become more complicated than ever and are likely to be more intensive, while the world economy is still experiencing slow and unsustainable recovery.
Taking the theme “20 Years of ASEM: Partnership for the Future through Connectivity,” the summit adopted the “Ulaanbaatar Declaration on Asia-Europe Meeting into the Third Decade”, the “Chair’s Statement” and the ASEM Leaders Statement on Counterterrorism. These documents lay out important orientations and specific measures, which show the strong resolve and provide a new driving force to effectively and deeply strengthen the Asia - Europe cooperation, heighten and raise the position and contribution of ASEM to the world efforts to develop in the new decade.
Firstly, the summit affirmed that after two decades of existence and development, ASEM has proven its role to be suitable with the trend of the time, become an important dialogue and cooperation mechanism with the largest scale between Asia and Europe, and promoted cooperation and multi-tier connection for peace and development. The summit assessed that ASEM will continue to be an important factor in shaping the face of the world in the 21st century, contributing to maintaining peace, security, stability, sustainable development, and responding to regional and global challenges.
Secondly, the summit reached important agreements on further strengthening the Asia - Europe partnership, innovating and promoting cooperation within ASEM in the coming decade. Accordingly, the summit committed to uniformly implement the three pillars of cooperation namely political dialogue; cultural and socio-economic cooperation; and people-to-people exchange, with focus laid on global efforts to implement the 2030 agenda on sustainable development, the Paris agreement on climate change, and the Sendai framework for disaster control so as to mitigate losses, in line with capabilities and conditions of each nation. More attention will be paid to poverty reduction and hunger elimination, social security and capabilities to deal with climate change and natural disasters, the issue of food security, cross-border water resource management, human resource development, vocational training for youngsters, financial support, technology transfer and capacity-building for developing countries…
Thirdly, connection has been identified as the focal point in ASEM cooperation in the coming time and will be implemented in all 3 aspects of infrastructure, institutions and human factor. A group to pioneer in connection was proposed to be established 2 years before the remainders, to propose cooperation contents and concrete measures. The summit agreed to strengthen economic, trade and investment relations as well Asia – Europe connection, promote the Doha negotiation, organize senior officials meetings to discuss trade and investment in order to resume the ASEM economic ministers’ meeting, boost economic recovery so as to obtain sustainable, balanced, and even growth and create more jobs. Participants also committed to increase experience exchange and support for sub-regional cooperation programs, especially in the Mekong and Danube subregions, to reduce poverty, decrease development disparity and reach for stable growth.
Fourthly, countries’ leaders also reaffirmed that the Asia-Europe partnership should continue to promote the principles of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit, agreed on specific measures to improve its performance and enhance the image of the meeting via such activities as the annual ASEM Day, enhancing the contribution from people from all walks of life to ASEM, especially from small and medium enterprises, and established the 20th ASEM specialized group for cooperation...
Fifthly, the summit also shared the common understanding that cooperation in maintaining peace, preventing conflicts, and ensuring stability and prosperity should be strengthened. The summit confirmed the importance of maintaining security, safety and freedom of navigation, refraining from the use of force or threat to use force, stressing the importance of peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law, including the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982) and confidence-building measures. Several members emphasized the need to ensure security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation and trade liberalization in line with international law in the East Sea. In this spirit, the summit supported the central role of ASEAN and ASEAN's contributions to the Asia – Pacific region.
It can be said that ASEM 11 has further confirmed the dynamic development and position of ASEM, better meeting people’s interests, contributing to peace, security, stability and sustainable development in both continents and the world.
Reporter: Can you please tell more about the active and responsible contribution of Vietnam to ASEM 11?
Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son: To implement the 12th National Party Congress’s Resolution on international integration and to improve the quality and effectiveness of the Party's foreign policy of multilateralization and diversification, the Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made outstanding contributions to the overall success of the summit.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is the first among the three leaders representing 53 ASEM members invited to deliver his speech at the 15th Asia - Europe Business Forum and at the Plenary Session themed “Two decades of Partnership: Looking back upon the Past and Heading for the Future.”
Many ASEM members supported Vietnam's new initiative at the “ASEM Conference on innovative education and capacity-building for sustainable development.” At this summit, Vietnam participated in two specialized groups for cooperation in education, human resource development and technology connection, co-sponsoring the initiative of Lithuania on “International conference on economic empowerment of women - Equal employment opportunities.” Members highly appreciated our practical proposals to heighten ASEM cooperation in the third decade. ASEM members also pledged to continue implementing our initiatives concerning response to disasters and training of skills to shift to green growth models in 2016.
Many members share our view on the need to increase constructive dialogue and cooperation and settlement of conflicts with respect to international law, no unilateral actions that raise tension and complicate situations, no use of force or threat to use force, build trust and respect for diplomatic process in line with international law in order to maintain peace, security and stability in Southeast Asia, including the East Sea. That would contribute an important part to boosting cooperation, connection and prosperity in the Asia - Pacific region and the world.
Vietnam’s activeness in proposing, promoting and implementing initiatives within the framework of ASEM cooperation over the past 20 years and in ASEM 11 have confirmed its active and responsible role, helping heighten Vietnam’s position.
Reporter: What have the exchanges and meetings between the Vietnamese delegation and ASEM members contributed to deepening bilateral relations?
Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son: While attending ASEM 11, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and official members of the delegation had exchanges and meetings with about 20 leaders of ASEM member countries, including the presidents of the Republic of Korea, Bulgaria, Switzerland, the Prime Minister of China, Laos, Japan, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Vice President of India…
Through the meetings, leaders of these countries agreed on specific measures to further bilateral ties with Vietnam, especially via high-ranking visits and practical implementation of agreements and cooperation mechanisms, and increase in exchanges between ministries, sectors and localities. Also on this occasion, Vietnam and Malta signed an agreement on double taxation avoidance and prevention of income tax evasion.
At meetings, countries highly appreciated the socio-political stability and efforts of the wide and deep economic restructuring and international integration of Vietnam. These countries agreed to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to seize trade and investment opportunities.
They also agreed to strengthen cooperation and mutual support in international and regional issues of mutual interest and confirmed to exert efforts to maintain an environment of peace, stability and development.
At these meetings, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reaffirmed Vietnam's stance on the East Sea-related proceedings at the PCA’s Philippines-China case.
Thus, it can be said that ASEM is an important cooperation mechanism to promote economic interests, development and security and enhance the position of Vietnam and ASEAN. ASEM consists of 19 out of 25 strategic and comprehensive partners of Vietnam and holds 70% of foreign direct investment and 80% of the total international trade value of Vietnam. Vietnam has also signed or is negotiating on the signing of free trade agreements with 47 out of 50 ASEM member countries. That is a favorable and promising opportunity for ministries, sectors, localities and citizens of Vietnam.
Reporter: Thank you very much!
Translated by Huu Duong
Souce: http://en.qdnd.vn
Key words : ASEM 11, sees, active, and responsible role, of Vietnam.
