On April 26, 2023, the 11th Senior Officials Meeting of the OECD Southeast Asia Programme (SEARP) took place in Paris, France under the chairmanship of Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang and Ambassador, Head of the Australian Mission to the OECD Brendan Pearson in his capacity as Co-Chairs of the SEARP program.
The meeting focused on evaluating the results of the SEARP Program's activities over the past time, identifying the focus of cooperation for the 2023-2024 period, and discussing financial initiatives to support Southeast Asian countries in infrastructure investment and investment in other fields.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Assistant Minister Nguyen Minh Hang emphasized that Southeast Asian countries highly appreciated the partnership with OECD within the framework of the SEARP program; suggested further promoting the implementation of the program's three priorities, including promoting economic recovery, supporting the economic reform process, and assisting Southeast Asian countries to move closer to OECD standards.
Assistant Minister Nguyen Minh Hang also suggested that OECD countries continue to support and assist in implementing cooperation projects that are in line with the interests of countries in the region on sustainable development, green transformation, digital transformation, skills training, training of high-quality human resources, etc.
The 11th Senior Officials Meeting of the OECD Southeast Asia Programme (SEARP) took place in Paris, France. Photo: BNG
At the meeting, OECD members emphasized that in the context of slowing global economic growth, Southeast Asia continues to be a bright spot in economic recovery and development.
Southeast Asia continues to be a top priority in the implementation of the OECD’s global strategy. Members highly appreciated many effective and practical cooperation activities in recent times under the chairmanship of the two co-chairs Australia and Vietnam, including the 2022 OECD-Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum on ensuring resilient supply chains held in Hanoi in October 2022.
The meeting welcomed the proposal on the List of potential projects of the program; agreed to mobilize resources of OECD and its members to implement a number of priority projects in the coming time on reviewing investment policies, marine economy, improving skills and quality of human resources, developing infrastructure, green economy, etc.
The countries highly appreciated Vietnam's proposal to organize the second OECD-Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum in the fourth quarter of 2023 to enhance investment cooperation between OECD and Southeast Asian countries, contributing to regional and global economic recovery.
Chaired by Vietnam, the meeting also discussed orientations for promoting OECD-Southeast Asia cooperation in the new period to prepare for the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the SEARP Program in 2024.
OECD countries expressed their desire to bring the OECD partnership with Southeast Asia to a new level, commensurate with the region's important role both strategically and in terms of economic development potential.
The conference agreed that Australia and Vietnam, as Co-Chairs of the program, will continue to specify cooperation directions for discussion at the 12th Senior Officials' Meeting scheduled to take place in Hanoi in the fourth quarter of 2023.
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