Vietnam deepens ASEAN economic ties

Vietnam would continue to deepen its economic ties with Southeast Asian countries as part of efforts to build an independent, united, and prosperous ASEAN community.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen. Photos: Nhat Bac

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reiterated the message at the meetings with Cambodian and Indonesian leaders on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

At the meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen, the Vietnamese Prime Minister congratulated Cambodia for successfully hosting the opening ceremony of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 32). He said this achievement has helped improve Cambodia's image in the eyes of its regional and international peers.

He expressed confidence that Cambodia will effectively organize the upcoming 7th National Assembly election in July, further enhancing Cambodia's standing in the region and the world.

For his part, Prime Minister Hun Sen stressed that Cambodia attaches great importance to its friendly and comprehensive partnership with Vietnam. He thanked Vietnam for its support and interest and for sending its leaders to attend the opening ceremony of the 32nd SEA Games. He was also touched to learn that a large number of Vietnamese people traveled to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, to witness the 32nd SEA Games and contribute to its success.

The two prime ministers expressed their satisfaction with the positive development of the bilateral cooperation.

Frequent meetings and exchanges have been held between their respective leaders, and cooperation mechanisms have been effectively utilized, especially during events such as the High-Level Meeting between the two parties in February, the 20th Meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee, the Conference on Cooperation and Development of Vietnam's Border Provinces, and the 12th Vietnam-Cambodia Border Provinces Cooperation Conference.

Both sides agreed to implement bilateral agreements effectively, promote connectivity and cooperation between the two economies, and support each other in developing independent and self-reliant economies in conjunction with comprehensive, substantive, and effective international integration, especially in a shrinking global market.

They also pledged to create more favorable conditions for investment and business cooperation between companies of the two nations, especially in areas such as cross-border trade and cooperation in the economic development of border regions.

The two leaders agreed to work closely and effectively to build a united, independent, resilient, and prosperous ASEAN Community.

Chinh extended a warm invitation to Prime Minister Hun Sen to visit Vietnam in the near future.

PM Chinh and Indonesia's President Joko Widodo.

In talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the same day, PM Chinh expressed his gratitude for Indonesia's warm welcome and praised the choice of Labuan Bajo as the venue for the 42nd ASEAN Summit.

Chinh reiterated his positive impression of his first overseas trip as Prime Minister to Indonesia in 2021 and reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to enhance its strategic partnership with the Southeast Asian country.

They agreed to strengthen the exchange of delegations and contacts at all levels, with special emphasis on celebrating the 10th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership in 2023. They expected the ties to be lifted to new heights.

The leaders also pledged to actively implement previously signed agreements, including the Action Program for 2019-2023, the Vietnam-Indonesia Strategic Partnership, and the early development of an Action Program for 2024-2028, to lay the foundation for expanding and deepening cooperation between their countries.

Chinh suggested that Vietnam and Indonesia should maintain the momentum of trade growth to achieve a bilateral trade turnover of at least US$15 billion by 2028 in a more balanced way. He also suggested that Indonesia facilitates the import of Vietnamese goods. In addition, both countries should strengthen maritime cooperation by setting up a hotline to support fisheries activities and exchange information on law enforcement at sea.

Joko Widodo stressed that Indonesia attaches great importance to strengthening its strategic partnership with Vietnam. The two leaders also agreed to expand cooperation to new areas such as energy transformation, digital transformation, and infrastructure.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. Prime Minister Chinh stressed that Vietnam will continue to cooperate with and support Indonesia in its role as ASEAN Chair in 2023, thereby contributing to strengthening ASEAN's solidarity, unity, self-reliance, and centrality.

The two leaders reiterated their support for maintaining ASEAN's unity, centrality and common stand on the East Sea issue. They also stressed the need to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and work towards an effective and efficient Code of Conduct (COC) in the region based on international law, including UNCLOS 1982.

Chinh expressed his hope that President Widodo will visit Vietnam again soon.