VietNamNet Bridge – Germany and Belgium continue to consider Vietnam to be a priority nation for official development assistance (ODA). Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son granted a media interview about the outcomes of the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 10) and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s trip to Belgium, Germany and the Vatican.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung and his German counterpart Angela Merkel.

Following is the gist of the interview:

The ASEM 10 transpired on October 16-17 in Milan, Italy is widely seen as a significant landmark in nearly 20 years of the forum’s establishment and development. What is your assessment of the outstanding results and significance of the meeting?

The 10th ASEM took place in the context of the complex international situation with implicit uncertainties. Cooperation and connectivity was a major trend but peace, stability and status quo in different regions are facing huge challenges.

Instability, local conflicts, terrorism, territorial disputes are becoming increasingly complex and widespread while the world economic recovery is still slow going with unsustainable and uneven elements.

With the theme "Responsible Partnership for Sustainable Growth and Security", the meeting adopted a Chair’s Statement with important agreements, giving a strong message and joint determination to promote Asia – Europe cooperation in a practical and effective manner.

The meeting achieved an array of outstanding results. First, the ASEM official admission of Croatia and Kazakhstan marked the 5th enlargement of its membership, signifying the growing potentiality for the forum’s expanded cooperation.

The ASEM has grown rapidly after 18 years, double the initial number of 26 founding members to become a large family of 53 members which represents approximately 62% of the world population, 57% of GDP and roughly 68% of global trade.

Second, the meeting agreed to strengthen economic, trade and investment links between the two continents and accelerate the Doha Round with the aim of promoting economic recovery towards sustainable and balanced growth and creating more jobs.

Notably, members deemed connectivity as a crucially important factor in ASEM cooperation that need to be realized in three aspects- infrastructure, institution and human resources, including ASEAN connectivity.

Third, the conference underlined the urgent need for increased cooperation to cope with global issues in a world intertwined with a lot of challenges and wide-ranging multidimensional impacts.

The current priorities are given to fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, building a post-2015 agenda covering poverty reduction, climate change adaptation, natural disasters, food security, and water resource management.

Fourth, members showed special interests and shared common perceptions on strengthened cooperation to maintain peace and prevent conflicts, ensure stability and prosperity.

The Chair’s Statement emphasized the importance of maintaining maritime security and safety, refraining from the use of force or threat to use force, peacefully resolving disputes on the basis of respect for international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The conference supported ASEAN's central role and its important contributions to the Asia – Pacific region.

From the aforesaid outstanding results along with the adoption of 24 new initiatives and establishment of 18 cooperation groups, the ASEM 10 showed its dynamic growth and rising status of the Eurasian forum.

New Belgian PM Charles Michel welcoming PM Nguyen Tan Dung.

Could you please elaborate on Vietnam’s positive and responsible contributions to common interests at the ASEM 10?

To boost a comprehensive international integration, the Vietnamese delegation made the remarkable contributions to the success of the ASEM 10.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung was one of the six leaders representing 53 members invited to give a speech at the 14th Asia- Europe Business Forum and, a keynote introductory speaker in the plenary session on global issues.

We received great support for two new initiatives for poverty alleviation and skills training for transition to green growth model. We co-sponsored the initiative of the host country (Italy) on employment for Eurasian youths.

Member states highly appreciated our practical suggestions to increase ASEM contributions to joint efforts in narrowing the development gap, enhancing Mekong sub-region connectivity, new approaches and innovations on food- water resources – energy security.

The members shared assessments and welcomed our proposals on the urgent need for increasing dialogues, cooperation and strategic confidence building in order to maintain peace, security and stability in the Southeast Asia, including the East Sea to advance the trend of cooperation, links and prosperity in the Asia - Pacific region and the world.

As a coordinator of the ASEAN-EU relations, Vietnam cooperated with ASEAN and EU members to successfully organize the first informal ASEAN-EU high-level meeting after many years. The meeting devised measures to elevate all aspects of the relationship, reflecting both sides’ common aspiration towards a stronger strategic partnership.

Vietnam’s initiatives within the ASEM cooperation framework over the past years and at the meeting helped raise Vietnam’s international profile.

How did the Vietnamese delegation’s meetings and exchanges with ASEM leaders contribute to deepening bilateral relations?

While attending the ASEM 10, PM Dung and his entourage had contacts with ASEM leaders, including those from key partners- China, Japan, France, Italy, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Poland, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Slovenia aiming to push up our ties relations with partner countries for mutual benefit.

Through the meetings, PM Dung and other leaders agreed upon specific measures to further relations by strengthening more high-level visits, and properly implementing arrangements and mechanisms for cooperation between ministries, sectors and localities.

On the occasion, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Vietnam’s Ben Tre province and Tulcea province in Romania. This was the first local cooperation project between Vietnam and an EU member state within the ASEM inter-regional framework.

The countries spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts to maintain socio-political stability, restructure the national economy and enhance comprehensive international integration which focuses on economic integration within the frameworks of ASEAN, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Bilateral Trade Agreements(FTAs) with the EU and the  Customs Union which will provide huge opportunities for Vietnam to foster economic and investment cooperation.

The leaders concurred to beef up coordination with Vietnam and offer mutual support for international and regional issues and join efforts to ensure peace, stability and facilitate cooperation and development.

They advocated Vietnam’s stance on the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of adherence to international law and the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), refraining from taking unilateral actions to further complicate the situation without the use of force and threat to use force.

Therefore, the ASEM forum can be regarded as an important mechanism for bilateral and multilateral cooperation to promote interests in economics, development and security as well as elevating our country’s international status and contributing to peace, cooperation and development in both continents.

Could you please tell more about the major results of PM Dung’s trip Belgium, the European Union (EU), Germany and the Vatican?

The government leader’s official visits to these EU nations made a great success and obtained good results as we continued maintaining high-level meetings with key partners. PM Dung had talks with top leaders from Belgium, the EU, Germany and the Vatican. He also met with Francis Pope and His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.

Dung had meetings and discussions with local leaders and leading businesses representing the Vietnamese communities in different countries. In particular, the PM delivered a speech on security challenges and political and foreign affairs for Asia before 200 politicians and German scholars at the Koerber Foundation in Berlin.

Vietnam and its partners achieved common perceptions on important agreements to boost bilateral cooperation. Leaders form Belgium, the EU and Germany as well as the Vatican confirmed Vietnam holds a very important position in their policies and they are keen to bolster broader cooperation with our nation.

The EU vowed to promptly ratify the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Vietnam in 2015 and provide Vietnam with EUR400 million in aid for the 2014 – 2020 period.

The leaders issued a joint statement on orientations for finalizing the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) negotiations, expressing a desire to build a comprehensive and balanced pact which is expected for signing in the next few months.

Germany and Belgium continued considering Vietnam a priority country for ODA and wanted to work with the Southeast Asian nation on developing more cooperation projects.

Germany promised to further step up action programs and jointly organise celebrations for the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Belgium pledged to boost bilateral cooperation with our nation in seaport, logistics, green growth, high technology, and development aid.

PM Dung’s visit to the Vatican was a significant event as Pope Francis described Dung’s visit as a good opportunity for both sides to deepen mutual understanding, thus furthering relations between Vietnam and the Vatican.

He expressed admiration for Vietnam’s tremendous achievements in socio- economic development which have resulted in remarkably improved lives of the Vietnamese people in every aspect.

Pope Francis also applauded the country’s efforts to effectively carry out the policy on freedom of belief and religion as a result of its election to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The Pope expressed concern about recent tensions in the East Sea and wished to contribute to ensuring peace, stability and security in the region and the world at large.

These positive results are regarded as remarkable contributions to deepening the relationship between Vietnam and its partners in the future.