ASEAN bolsters ties to dialogue partners

HA NOI — Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and representatives from dialogue countries agreed to expand co-operation and strengthen ties by enhancing and fostering the central role of ASEAN in regional co-operation while continuing to raise the status of the group in the international community.

Ways to strengthen co-operation within ASEAN and with dialogue countries were discussed at a series of Post Ministerial Conferences held in line with the ASEAN meetings in Ha Noi yesterday. Representatives from the 10 dialogue partners — China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, the EU, the US and Canada—attended a range of meetings in the capital.

ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts also reviewed the development of bilateral relationship in the past year and set forth ways and means to promote future co-operation.

Also on the agenda at the meetings was ways to foster community-building across ASEAN and challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, epidemics and maritime security.

The meetings also focused on preparations for the related summits to be held at the end of this year and exchange of views on strengthening regional co-operation, including the possibility of deeper engagement with dialogue partners in the process of shaping the ASEAN community.
The dialogue partners reaffirmed their support for ASEAN's central role in the region and shared the bloc's common vision of a mutually-supportive future.

ASEAN welcomed Russia and the US's expressed interest in increasing engagement with ASEAN, including participation in the East Asia Summit (EAS).

At the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with China, the two sides agreed to hasten the drafting of a new Plan of Action to implement the Joint Declaration on the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity for the 2011-15 period to be submitted for adoption at the 13th ASEAN-China Summit.

The two sides agreed to work on implementing initiatives for bilateral co-operation, including access to support from Chinese funds such as the China-ASEAN Investment Co-operation Fund worth US$10 billion and the Credit Fund for Commercial Exchange worth $15 billion.

An agreement was also reached on further bolstering co-operation for peace, stability and prosperity in the region, including co-operation within the framework of the ASEAN+3 and EAS groups and implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.

Both side also agreed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue throughout the year of 2011.

At the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with Russia, the ministers welcomed good progress in implementing the ASEAN-Russia Comprehensive Programme of Action to promote co-operation for the 2005-15 period.

They discussed preparations for the second ASEAN-Russia Summit, scheduled for later this year, of the Russia-ASEAN Business Forum and the ASEAN-Russia Cultural Co-operation Agreement.

ASEAN and Russian representatives also agreed on specific activities in preparation for the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue, including activities to mark Russian culture in ASEAN member countries.

At the conference with the US, the two sides agreed to finalise a Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN-US Partnership for the 2011-15 period and to strengthen co-operation in areas of mutual interest, particularly economic, trade and investment co-operation, and work on addressing challenges such as epidemics, energy security, disaster management and climate change.

ASEAN welcomed the establishment of a US Mission to ASEAN based in Jakarta.

ASEAN and the US agreed to work closely in convening the second ASEAN-US Leaders' Meeting to be held later this year.

At the conference with Japan, ASEAN welcomed Japan's proposal to further promote co-operation between ASEAN and Japan with the aim of spurring economic growth through enhancing ASEAN connectivity within the framework of the "ASEAN-Japan Partnership for New Growth in Asia ".
Japanese Foreign Ministry Deputy Press Secretary Hidenobu Sobashima said Japan would continue to support ASEAN's initiatives, particularly to boost the regional bloc's community building. This work would include programmes aimed at narrowing the development gap through contribution to the ASEAN-Japan Integration Fund, including an offer from Japan of JPY800 million in assisting the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

ASEAN and Japan also committed to the early implementation of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

In separate meetings, ASEAN and the EU agreed to promote the implementation of programmes and activities to establish the ASEAN-EU Enhanced Partnership, which focuses on boosting economic co-operation between ASEAN and the EU.

Sustainable development

On the same day, the second US-Lower Mekong Ministerial Meeting focused on ways to ensure sustainable development of the lower Mekong basis.

The meeting was attended by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and foreign ministers of Lower Mekong countries, including those from Cambodia, Lao, Thailand and Viet Nam.

The meeting mainly focused on reviewing the process of co-operation implemented since the first meeting in 2009 and enhancing multifaceted co-operation between the US and Lower Mekong countries. Participants also discussed issues related to the environment, health, education and infrastructure.

The ministers agreed to establish a co-ordinating mechanism and to hold Senior Officials' Meeting and the third US-Lower Mekong Ministerial Meeting in 2011.

Speaking at the meeting, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem said he believed the meetings would bring concrete results to further co-operation between the Mekong countries and the US with the aim of ensuring a dynamic and sustainable future for the Mekong sub-region.

"Viet Nam is ready to work with the US and other Mekong countries to develop a long-term co-operation plan to ensure sustainable development, peace and stability in the region," he said.

"I am hopeful that co-operation between Mekong countries and the US not only benefits the Mekong region and the US, but also contributes to peace, stability, and prosperity for the whole region."

At the meeting, Clinton announced a co-operation programme aimed at preparing the region against the threat of pandemics and a three-year programme to assist the four Lower Mekong countries in developing co-operative strategies to address the impacts of climate change.

"We are committed to a long-term engagement," said Clinton.

The ministers agreed to establish a co-ordination mechanism and to regularly hold the Senior Officials' Meeting.

A joint statement reaffirming the ministers' determination on enhancing co-operation for sustainable development was adopted and a memorandum of understanding on a partnership between the Mekong River Commission and the Mississippi River Commission was signed at the meeting.

Japan and the Mekong

Foreign ministers from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam and Japan and the assistant to the Lao Foreign Minister have confirmed their determination to accelerate co-operation and consolidate multi-faceted relations.

The confirmation was made at the third Mekong-Japan Ministerial Meeting in Ha Noi on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 43rd AMM.

The meeting recognised the initial results of projects and programmes aimed at protecting the Mekong River, carried out under Mekong-Japan Action Plan 63, and the Vietnamese Prime Minister's initiative on human resource development.

They agreed to host the second Mekong-Japan Summit on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in October 2010 in Viet Nam and that Japan would host the fourth ministerial meeting in 2011.

The ministers concluded the conference with the adoption of the Chairman's declaration. — VNS