ASEAN-US promote connectivity towards a future of self-reliant, prosperous and sustainable development

Continuing the working program of the Summits, on the morning of October 11, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led the Vietnamese delegation to attend the 12th ASEAN-US Summit.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shares 4 important orientations for ASEAN

ASEAN Conference: Turning the East Sea into a Sea of ​​Peace, Friendship and Cooperation

Representing the US President at the Conference, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken affirmed that ASEAN holds a central position in the vision of an open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific, highly appreciates the importance of the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, promotes connectivity of economic cooperation opportunities, innovative technology, creates more jobs, and brings a better life to 1 billion people on both sides.

View of the 12th ASEAN-US Summit (Photo: Nhat Bac/VGP).

Secretary of State Blinken emphasized that the United States will continue to cooperate and support ASEAN in disease prevention, upgrading the regional power grid, preventing cybercrime and online fraud, promoting safe, secure and reliable artificial intelligence, as well as promoting cultural exchanges, and expressed his delight that the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, after 10 years of establishment, continues to grow with an increasing number of members.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends the 12th ASEAN-US Summit. (Photo: Nhat Bac/VGP)

The conference appreciated the United States' strong and long-term commitment to ASEAN and the region over the past time, supporting ASEAN's central role, actively participating in constructive dialogue, cooperation and building trust in the region, and welcomed the United States' continued active support for ASEAN in building the Community, integrating, connecting, developing the sub-region, narrowing the development gap and responding to challenges, including through the Mekong-US Partnership (MUSP) framework.

Countries welcomed the positive progress in cooperation in recent times. The ASEAN-US Plan of Action for the 2021-2025 period has been actively implemented with a completion rate of 98.37%. In 2023, the United States will be ASEAN's largest investment partner, with more than 6,200 US businesses operating in ASEAN, with a total foreign direct investment of 74.3 billion USD, and is also ASEAN's second largest trading partner with a total two-way trade turnover of 395.9 billion USD. Economic initiatives such as the ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and the Expanded Economic Engagement Initiative (E3) create a basis for promoting cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, development of small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and trade facilitation.

Representing the US President, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken attended and delivered a speech at the 12th ASEAN-US Summit. (Photo: Nhat Bac/VGP)

In the coming time, the two sides agreed to continue promoting substantive and effective cooperation, commensurate with the level of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, prioritizing the promotion of trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) governance, healthcare, energy, environment, climate change response, etc., contributing to the rapid, sustainable and long-term development of the region.

Speaking at the Conference, Vietnam highly appreciated the importance of the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, expecting the US to continue to deeply and actively participate in the region, make a responsible and long-term commitment to ASEAN, support ASEAN in building the Community and promoting its central role in shaping an open, inclusive, transparent regional structure that upholds international law.

Regarding the future development of the relationship, Vietnam proposed that both sides strengthen cooperation to create a prosperous and sustainable future. Accordingly, economic-trade-investment cooperation will be the focus and driving force, which needs to be promoted in an effective, harmonious and sustainable manner, further opening the market for exports, and being ready to welcome more investors from the United States. At the same time, it is necessary to promote cooperation in responding to climate change, enhancing resilience to natural disasters and catastrophes.

Vietnam welcomes the United States' continued support for the development of the Mekong sub-region through the Mekong-US Partnership framework, including enhancing climate change resilience in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders at the 12th ASEAN-US Summit. (Photo: Nhat Bac/VGP)

In addition, Vietnam proposed to increase efforts and allocate appropriate resources to make science, technology and innovation cooperation a new pillar in the US-ASEAN relationship, opening up new development space, creating breakthroughs to promote the rapid and sustainable development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two sides. Accordingly, it welcomes cooperation opportunities with US corporations and technology companies, especially in the fields of semiconductor industry and AI.

At the same time, Vietnam proposed that ASEAN and the United States should strengthen coordination and contribute more to peace, security and stability in the region. Accordingly, it proposed that the United States continue to support ASEAN's common stance on the East Sea, coordinate to ensure peace, security and stability in the region, including the East Sea, support efforts to soon achieve an effective and substantive COC in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS, contributing to building the East Sea into a sea of ​​peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development.

At the end of the Conference, the leaders adopted the ASEAN-US Leaders' Statement on Promoting Safe, Secure and Trusted Artificial Intelligence.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/asean-hoa-ky-thuc-day-ket-noi-huong-toi-tuong-lai-phat-trien-tu-cuong-thinh-vuong-va-ben-vung-205978.html