55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting highlights: Foreign ministers’ cooperation in health, maritime, and energy

Foreign ministers of ASEAN member countries emphasized regional cooperation in vaccine research and creation and health system improvement at a ministerial level meeting on Wednesday in Cambodia’s Phnom Penh.

During the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-55) which opened around the same time in Cambodia – the Chair of ASEAN 2022, the officials likewise examined the bloc connectivity, narrowing the development gap, maritime cooperation alongside issues, for example, climate change, food security, and energy.

The ministers agreed that ASEAN ought to advance its responsibilities, keep up with solidarity, act in unity and respond flexibly in all circumstances.

As to international cooperation, the ASEAN top diplomats emphasized that the bloc needs to adopt a reasonable strategy, have a common voice, really advance ASEAN-led mechanisms, and dialogue, and raise trust and compliance with international laws.

Communicating their deep concern about the circumstance in Myanmar, the ministers invited and upheld the endeavors of the ASEAN Chair and the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair in supporting the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.

They likewise discussed solutions for the bloc to partake successfully and favorable a great environment for dialogue in Myanmar.

The ASEAN ministers discussed various arising issues in the region, particularly new improvements in the East Sea, significant power competition, and conflicts in Ukraine and the Korean peninsula.

They approached pertinent parties to exercise restrictions, and stay away from activities that complicate what is going on, respect international law, and the principles of documents including the United Nations Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.

The ASEAN diplomats likewise witnessed the signing of the TAC of Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates.

Sharing his perspectives on keeping up with ASEAN’s solidarity and equilibrium, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn urged countries to stay with the common stance on the East Sea, striving to keep a favorable environment for and a successful and efficient Code of Conduct for the South China Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, the UNCLOS 1982.

He likewise reaffirmed Việt Nam’s consistent stance on international and regional issues like the contention in Ukraine, significant power competition, and the circumstance in Myanmar.

Foreign ministers of ASEAN countries and their partners will go to the ASEAN+1 and ASEAN+3 meetings on Thursday.

Việt Nam and ASEAN’s partners

Around the same time, Minister Sơn met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand Nanaia Mahuta, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng, and British Minister of State for Asia the Middle East Amanda Milling.

The two ministers of Việt Nam and New Zealand agreed to strengthen the trading of delegations and carry out yearly mechanisms; carrying the average yearly trade growth to around 20% while restoring cooperation in areas like education, tourism, and individual to-individuals exchanges which had been impacted by COVID-19.

Minister Sơn expressed his gratitude for New Zealand’s help of NZ$2 million for Việt Nam’s recuperation.

Minister Mahuta affirmed that New Zealand will keep up with ODA and scholarships for Việt Nam and strengthen cooperation in the Mekong region.

She additionally welcomed her Vietnamese counterpart to visit New Zealand and co-chair the first foreign ministers’ meeting.

During the meeting with his Canadian counterpart, Sơn recommended the different sides strengthen cooperation in regional mechanisms.

He expressed his expectation that Canada will uphold Việt Nam in climate change adaptation, and increase investment in the country.

Mentioning the 50th anniversary of the Việt Nam-Canada relation, the different sides agreed to execute numerous exercises including expanding high-level exchanges, bilateral dialogue mechanism implementation, and compelling implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

They additionally discussed solutions to help Canada to take part really in the region’s cooperation.

At the meeting with his UK counterpart, the two ministers agreed to expand the exchange of high-level delegations, move forward cooperation in climate change response, further advance trade, and investment exchanges, and successfully execute the UK-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) toward the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relation in 2023.

Minister Sơn proposed the UK support his country to lay out a fair energy transition partnership with the G7; support the country in green finance, technology transfer, and human resource development; and share management experience.

He said he expects that British businesses should put more into Việt Nam, renewable energy, banking and finance, pharmaceuticals, information technology, start-ups, innovation, and infrastructure development.

The UK’s Minister Milling agreed that these would be priority areas for cooperation sooner rather than later.