Vietnam PM active at ASEAN+3, Mekong summits

Leaders pose for a group photo during the ASEAN+3 Summit in Indonesia’s Bali

At the ASEAN+3 Summit, leaders of ASEAN, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) spoke highly of progress in ASEAN+3 cooperation, including the implementation of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization Agreement, the ASEAN+3 Emergency Rice Reserves Agreement and the East Asia Vision Group II and cooperative programmes on transnational crime control, climate change, infectious epidemics and cultural exchanges.

On the orientation for cooperation, the leaders agreed to focus on the implementation of ASEAN+3 cooperative programmes for 2007-2017, increase financial and monetary cooperation, boost trade, investment ties and promote East Asia linkage on the basis of implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and boost cooperation to respond to non-traditional challenges.

PM Dung made contributions to the ASEAN+3 cooperative process by proposing to focus sources to carry out the 2007-2017 cooperative plan, especially the enhancement of financial and monetary cooperation, step up cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, transport and infrastructure development, ensure the roadmap of free trade agreements between ASEAN and China, Japan and the RoK and conduct a feasibility study on the establishment of the East Asian Free Trade Area.

He also proposed the joint organisation of celebrations for the 15th anniversary of ASEAN+3 dialogue ties in 2012.

At the Mekong-Japan Summit, Prime Minister Dung and leaders of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Japan highlighted the outcomes in implementing action programme 63, Mekong-Japan economic and industrial cooperation initiatives and the Mekong Green Decade as well as specific projects and actions on infrastructure development in the East-West Economic Corridor, the Southern Economic Corridor, construction of seaports and airports in the Mekong River basin countries, environmental protection, response to climate change and human resource training.

The leaders agreed to build new cooperative pillars for the 2013-2015 period to replace the action programme 63 and increase cooperation in socio-economic development and environmental protection to promote sustainable development, use, protection and management of Mekong River water sources for comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development in the Mekong region, contributing to the building of the ASEAN Community and development in the region.

PM Dung urged the two sides to focus in the five key areas of ASEAN connectivity, environmental cooperation, public-private partnership cooperation, human security, and maternal and child health care services.

Vietnam highly valued Japan’s efforts and aspiration to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council if the agency is expanded, he affirmed.

On cooperation in environmental and water management, PM Dung stressed the importance of the Mekong River in the socio-economic development of all sub-regional countries, saying that coordination among Mekong River countries to study and assess impacts on habitat is urgent. Before making decisions on construction of hydropower projects on the Mekong River’s mainstream, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam should ask Japan to assist in studying and assessing environmental impacts.

At the end of the summit, the leaders issued a joint statement.