JAKARTA — Prime Minister of Việt Nam Phạm Minh Chính held separate in-person meetings with his Cambodian, Singaporean and Malaysian counterparts on Saturday, during the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting in Jakarta.
In the meeting with Cambodian PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Chính affirmed that Việt Nam always treasures and gives top priority to consolidating the fine neighbourliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia.
He stressed that Việt Nam always stays ready to assist Cambodia in preventing the pandemic. In such spirit, Việt Nam donated US$500,000 together with 800 respirators, 2 million medical masks and 300,000 N-95 masks to Cambodia to aid their fight against the ongoing outbreaks in the country.
Chính requested Cambodia continue offering support to the Vietnamese community in the country, especially in handling legal documents to help them stabilise their lives.
Hun Sen, for his part, affirmed that Cambodia highly values its traditional friendship and neighbourliness with Việt Nam. He thanked Việt Nam for offering valuable material and experience support to Cambodia to fight the pandemic.
Despite the pandemic, two-way trade between Việt Nam and Cambodia doubled to $2.69 billion in the first three months of 2021 against the same period last year.
The two PMs agreed to work closely together to monitor border areas and conduct vaccinations of the two nations’ citizens. They hailed the exchange of two legal documents approving 84 per cent of border demarcation and consented to do the remaining work in the near future.
The Vietnamese PM proposed Cambodia support Việt Nam’s bid to host ASEAN’s centre on emerging diseases and medical contingencies.
They vowed to work with other ASEAN member states to step up negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (South China Sea) in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In his talks with Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, Chính noted Singapore was the biggest investor in Việt Nam in 2020 and early 2021.
He suggested hastening negotiations on a priority travel mechanism in a flexible manner, soon resuming commercial flights, and promoting bilateral economic and tourism links. He asked Singapore to continue providing short- and mid-term scholarships for Việt Nam, including training at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Lee, for his part, expressed his wish to foster close ties with Chính to promote the Việt Nam-Singapore strategic partnership, and also agreed with the Vietnamese leader’s proposals.
The two PMs pledged to continue boosting bilateral ties at regional and global forums, especially at ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Both sides will complete the ratification and effective implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, maintain ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue, and support ASEAN’s role in the settlement of the Myanmar issue, contributing to peace, stability and cooperation in the region.
PM Chính welcomed the upcoming Việt Nam visit by the Singaporean Foreign Minister to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) high-level policy dialogue scheduled for next month, and invited Lee to visit Việt Nam. The Singaporean PM accepted the invitation with pleasure and also invited Chính to Singapore.
In the conversation with Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin, Chính wished to reinforce ties with Malaysia in bilateral and multilateral frameworks.
Yassin said he believes that with achievements in pandemic control, socio-economic stability and success in external relations, Việt Nam will reap further successes in socio-economic development, thus improving its stature in the region and the world.
The two PMs promised to expand bilateral coordination in various fields in the near future, including maintaining all-level exchanges, both online and offline. The two countries will also hold the sixth meeting of the Việt Nam-Malaysia Inter-Committee for Economic and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, and the fourth meeting of the Trade Joint Committee, towards raising two-way trade to US$15 billion.
The two sides pledged to offer mutual support within the ASEAN framework and at regional and global forums, continue upholding ASEAN’s role in the East Sea, seriously abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon reach a practical and effective COC in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting, heads of delegations of Laos, Thailand, the Philippines, and Myanmar also paid courtesy calls to PM Chính, and expressed hope that he would continue boosting bilateral ties.
The trip to Indonesia is the first overseas trip for Chính in his role as the Vietnamese Government leader since his election earlier in April. — VNS
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