Vietnamactively contributed to promoting cooperation between ASEAN and its partners

Brussels (VNA) – Vietnam has actively contributed to promoting cooperation between ASEAN and its partners, especially the European Union, said a senior Vietnamese official who accompanied Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the eighth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 8) in Brussels , Belgium , from Oct. 4-5.

Deputy Foreign Minister Doan Xuan Hung, in an interview with Vietnam News Agency
correspondent on Oct. 5, said European members to the meeting praised Vietnam’s
active role as ASEAN Chair in 2010 and applauded the bloc’s efforts in
developing a strong, dynamic and sustainable community, and paid attention to
potentials for cooperation between the two continents within the Mekong River
cooperation framework.

According to the deputy minister, during the ASEM-8 PM Dung spotlighted important
contributions made by the ASEAN bloc in general and Vietnam in particular to
issues of the ASEM’s concern.

“PM Dung made a number of suggestions for sustainable development, such as
intensifying experience sharing and assistance to designing of sustainable
development models and strategies, ensuring social security for disadvantaged and
vulnerable people, and promoting on-going sustainable development programmes at
sub-regional and regional levels in the two continents,” Hung said.

“His two initiatives to organise ASEM forums on green growth and social
security networks were highly valued by the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland
and the Republic of Korea, and approved unanimously at the meeting,” Hung
further said.

Vietnam joined important events towards the ASEM-8, including the cultural
exhibition “Way to Asia – 2,500 years of Asia-Europe Exchange” .
The country brought to the display more than 30 antiques, many of them are
valuable and of historical and cultural significance such as a Dong Son bronze
drum, Cham-pa stone statues dated back to the tenth century, and Buddhist
statues from the 11 th -12 th centuries.

Vietnam ’s participation in the event helped foreign friends to better
understand the country which has a long history and culture imbued with
national identities. Significantly, it takes place when Vietnam is
celebrating the millennium anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, he added.

During the two short days of the ASEM-8, the Vietnamese delegation were busy with
an agenda of six sessions and 20 meetings with top leaders of ASEM countries.

The concrete agreements made at the meetings were important to Vietnam ’s
relations with partners and its development policies, laying a foundation for
comprehensive and long-term relations with European members, he said.

Vietnam has initialled the EU-Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
(PCA), which is considered as the framework for the development of an equal,
long-term and stable partnership and comprehensive cooperation for peace and
development between Vietnam and the EU.

Vietnam and the EU have also agreed to launch Free Trade Agreement
negotiations soon.

Hung also highlighted results made at the ASEM-8, which took place at a time when
the global economy, especially Asian and European economies started recovering
after the crisis.

The ASEM leaders adopted the “ASEM Chair’s Declaration on happiness and
dignity” and the “ASEM 8 Declaration on strengthening the efficiency of
global economic governance”, performing a strong determination to restructure
the global economy and finance.

In conclusion, the deputy minister said Vietnam ’s harmonious combination
between multilateral and bilateral diplomacy helped raise the country’s
position and develop its relations with partners.-Enditem