MANILA: Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoa Trung on Wednesday (July 22) attended the Asean Post-Ministerial Conference with the United States as part of the ongoing 59th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-59) and related meetings.
Addressing the meeting in Manila, the Philippines, Minister Trung welcomed the US' commitment to peace, stability and development in the region, and called on both sides to finalise and effectively implement a new comprehensive work programme at the earliest opportunity.
On economic cooperation, the Vietnamese minister proposed that Asean and the US promote trade and investment in an open, transparent and mutually beneficial manner, while expanding joint work in the digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, science and technology, innovation, energy transition and regional energy connectivity.
He also urged the US to continue supporting cooperation in the Mekong sub-region, particularly in water resource management, climate change response, sustainable infrastructure development and human resource training.
On regional and international issues, Trung underscored the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability, and resolving disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law.
He welcomed continued US support for Asean's principled position on the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea), while calling on the US to continue contributing to an open, inclusive, transparent, resilient and rules-based regional architecture with Asean at its centre.
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, the minister called on all parties to promote dialogue and restore safe and uninterrupted maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz. He also stressed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
Participating ministers noted that the Asean–US comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to develop positively following the completion of the 2021–25 Plan of Action.
Both sides agreed to expedite the finalisation of a new comprehensive work programme to implement the Asean–US Leaders’ Joint Vision Statement, while preparing for the 50th anniversary of Asean-US dialogue relations in 2027 through a series of commemorative activities, including the possibility of a commemorative summit.
Speaking at the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the US's 100 per cent support for Asean, describing South-East Asia as a key driver of global growth in the 21st century and a region of strategic importance to the US.
He pledged continued US investment and support for the bloc in such areas as the secure supply chain, the digital economy, energy security, energy transition, power grid connectivity and civil nuclear energy cooperation.
The ministers agreed to further deepen Asean-US economic relations by expanding cooperation in high value-added sectors, while strengthening people-to-people exchanges, education and training, human resource development, healthcare and disaster management.
Both sides also agreed to accelerate the implementation of practical projects under the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and enhance coordination in addressing non-traditional security challenges, including terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, drug trafficking and online fraud.
Asean welcomed the US's continued active participation in Asean-led mechanisms and took note of the proposal to develop an Asean-US leaders' statement on ten public-private partnership principles for tackling online scams. — Vietnam News/ANN
