Efforts to further deepen the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the 13th ASEAN-US Summit. (Photo: Nhat Bac/VGP)

Speaking at the Conference, ASEAN leaders highly appreciated the role and positive contributions of the United States to regional cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms, especially promoting dialogue and building trust for peace and stability in the region. ASEAN leaders especially appreciated the commitment, efforts and role of President Donald Trump personally in promoting dialogue and cooperation between countries, through supporting negotiations to reduce tensions, negotiating and signing the Peace Declaration between Thailand and Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur on the same day, October 26.

The Leaders shared their assessment that ASEAN-US relations continue to develop strongly, comprehensively and effectively in all fields. Two-way trade in 2024 will reach more than 453 billion USD, accounting for 11.8% of ASEAN's total trade turnover. The US is the second largest trading partner and the largest source of foreign direct investment in ASEAN.

In particular, ASEAN and the United States have completed the entire 2021-2025 Action Plan with many cooperation programs and projects in areas such as politics - security, transnational crime prevention, maritime security, trade, investment, transportation, agriculture, science and technology, etc. The United States has also supported ASEAN in completing research on the new generation ASEAN Single Window (ASW 2.0) and will continue to provide technical support in operating the ASW 2.0 system.

View of the 13th ASEAN-US Summit. (Photo: Nhat Bac/VGP)

The countries affirmed to continue effectively implementing commitments, programs and cooperation initiatives to further deepen the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, focusing on strategic cooperation areas such as high-quality trade and investment, finance, infrastructure connectivity, digital economy, energy, ensuring a healthy cyber security environment, etc., for a region of peace, security, stability and prosperous development.

At the Conference, US President Donald Trump affirmed that Southeast Asia holds a very important position in US policy in the Indo-Pacific, and the US will continue to be a partner and friend of countries in the region. At the same time, the US wishes to further deepen its partnership with ASEAN, not only in economics, trade, energy, technology, artificial intelligence, etc., but also for the goals of peace, stability and prosperity for all countries in the region, and for the benefit of people and future generations.

President Trump also affirmed that the United States is ready to cooperate and support ASEAN in resolving common challenges on the basis of respecting the Association's central role and the legitimate interests of its member countries.

Speaking at the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh congratulated President Donald Trump on the outstanding achievements of the United States in recent times; highly appreciated the President's diplomatic efforts in promoting dialogue processes, peacefully resolving conflicts in the world, especially together with ASEAN Chair Malaysia and ASEAN member countries, supporting Cambodia and Thailand in dialogue, negotiating and signing the Joint Statement between the two sides.

Assessing the US as one of ASEAN's most comprehensive strategic partners with strong commitments to enhancing cooperation between the two regions, the Prime Minister proposed four major orientations to develop ASEAN-US cooperation strongly, substantially and effectively in the coming time, including:

Promote economic, trade and investment connectivity, together towards balanced, harmonious and sustainable trade relations; Promote cooperation in digital transformation, innovation and energy security, including energy infrastructure connectivity and nuclear energy cooperation for peaceful purposes; Strengthen cyber security and transnational crime prevention, in which the US initiative on combating online fraud and Vietnam's initiative on improving the effectiveness of arresting wanted criminals are the basis for ASEAN and the US to promote cooperation in this field; Strengthen cooperation, maintain peace, security and stability in the region.

The Prime Minister stressed that ASEAN and the United States share interests and responsibilities in maintaining peace, stability, security and development in the region, including the East Sea, for the benefit of all countries and people in the region. The Prime Minister emphasized ASEAN's principled stance on the East Sea, including the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

At the end of the Conference, ASEAN and US Leaders adopted the “ASEAN-US Joint Vision Statement on a Stronger, Safer and More Prosperous Region”, as strategic orientation for the new phase of cooperation.

Ha Thanh Giang

Source: https://nhandan.vn/no-luc-lam-sau-sac-hon-nua-quan-he-doi-tac-chien-luoc-toan-dien-asean-hoa-ky-post918171.html