ASEAN partners commit to respect for bloc's central role

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on Juy 10 attended a series of meetings between ASEAN Foreign Ministers and counterparts from China, Australia, Canada, India and New Zealand.

During the meetings, the foreign ministers spoke highly of effective cooperation between ASEAN and these partners, particularly in such fields like trade, investment, sustainable development, smart agriculture, energy, education, tourism, innovation and digital transformation.

These partnes reafffirmed respect for ASEAN centrality and committed to assisting ASEAN in implementing ASEAN's strategic documents towards 2045 and promoting the bloc's initiatives like the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) and ASEAN Power Grid.

At the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi affirmed that ASEAN is a priority in China's neighborhood diplomacy. He pledged that China stand side by side with ASEAN to build a community of peace, stability and prosperity and to promote multilateralism, inclusive regional order, and economic globalization.

Economic cooperation still remains the key pillar of ASEAN-China relations. The two-way trade reached more than US$770 billion in 2024.

The Foreign Ministers from ASEAN and China welcomed negotiations on upgrading the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), which is expected to be signed by the end of this year to further expand cooperation opportunities across various fields, including digital economy, green economy, supply chain connectivity among others.

ASEAN highly valued the proposal to establish centers for cooperation in clean energy, artificial intelligence, public administration.

The Foreign Ministers from ASEAN and China recognized progress in negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

At the ASEAN-Australia Ministerial Meeting, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong affirmed that Australia would continue close collaboration with ASEAN to promote economic integration and sustainable development and to ensure stability in the region through enhancing economic and trade connectivity, development assistance, and promotion of shared values on regional cooperation.

The Australian side pledged to continue its Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.

ASEAN highly valued Australia-funded programs on scholarships, digital skills training, healthcare and education assistance, natural disaster response, environmental protection, and inclusive development.

At the ASEAN-Canada Ministerial Meeting, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand affirmed that Canada attaches importance to the relations with the ASEAN Member States, considering ASEAN as a strategic focus in its strategy to boost economic and security cooperation in the region on the basis of shared values and commitment to multilateralism.

The Foreign Ministers agreed to continue effective implementation of the Action Plan for the 2021-2025 period and to soon adopt a new Action Plan for the next five years.

They underscored the need to accelerate and conclude negotiations on the ASEAn-Canada Free Trade Agreement in 2025 to lay a solid foundation for opening up their markets and to facilitate trade and investment between the two sides.

ASEAN appreciated Canada's continued implementation of the Trade and Investment Development Support Fund worth CAD 11. million, its commitment of CAD8.5 million for the 5-year implementation of the Regional Program to Advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, and its additional contribution of over CAD10 million to the ASEAN-Canada Trust Fund.

At the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, Indian Union Minister of State Pabitra Margherita affirmed that that ASEAN is the foundation of his country's Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific strategy, committing to strengthening cooperation on all political-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars, and consolidating the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to become increasingly deeper and more substantive.

The meeting welcomed the completion of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2021-2025) one year ahead of schedule and adopted a new Plan of Action (2026-2030).

ASEAN welcomed the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to open up opportunities to promote balanced trade flows.

ASEAN stressed the need to continue promoting business and start-up development, especially micro, small and medium enterprises.

ASEAN appreciated India's contribution of US$5 million to implement the ASEAN-India Tourism Action Plan for the 2023-2027 period.

Both sides agreed to foster cooperation in the fields of digital economy, cybersecurity, renewable energy, healthcare, food security, education and people-to-people exchange.

At the ASEAN-New Zealand Ministerial Meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and New Zealander Foreign Minister Winston Peters spoke highly of the ASEAN-New Zealand relations – a model of trust, mutual understanding and cooperation for mutual development.

ASEAN appreciated New Zealand's assistance in the fields of cybersecurity, maritime security, natural disaster aid, and trans-national crime combat, calling on New Zealand to continue its assistance to narrow development gap and support inclusive and sustainable development in the region, especially the Mekong subregion, and to promote air connectivity and digital trade.

ASEAN also appreciated New Zealand's commitment to contribute more than NZD329 million to programs on climate, renewable energy, smart agriculture and national disaster response in the region.

Speaking at the aforesaid meetings, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son underscored the strategic significance of further consolidating and deepening partnership between ASEAN and these partners, especially amid fast, complex and unpredictable developments in the region and the world.

Viet Nam highly valued these partners' support for ASEAN centrality and their active engagement in ASEAN-led mechanisms as well as their support for the process of ASEAN Community building, stressed Bui.

On economic cooperation, Bui welcomed the efforts to review and upgrade the free trade agreements between ASEAN and these partners to promote fair, inclusive and resilient trade ties.

He called for strengthening cooperation to deal with non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, food security, energy security, natural disasters and epidemics.

Given the current regional and global context, Bui underscored the importance of further enhancing dialogue, consultation and trust-building. He called on partners to continue backing ASEAN's principled positions on regional and international issues, including the East Sea issue and work together to build the East Sea into the sea of peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development.