On July 21, in the role of coordinating ASEAN-Japan relations, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted an online high-level roundtable with the theme "ASEAN – Japan: Reviewing the journey travelled, toward the 50th anniversary of dialogue partnership”. This is Vietnam's initiative to create an opportunity for ASEAN countries and Japan to look back on the nearly five decades of cooperation and orientate for the next period.
At the roundtable (Photo: congthuong.vn)
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son assessed that Japan is a friend and a reliable partner of ASEAN. The ASEAN-Japan strategic partnership is one of the most meaningful and comprehensive relationships of ASEAN with its partners, spanning the fields for peace, prosperity, quality of life and connection from heart to heart.
He welcomed Japan to step up its partnership based on trust, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation with ASEAN and emphasized the importance of economic, trade and investment cooperation as the foundation for ASEAN-Japan relations.
He also highly appreciated Japan's development cooperation, technical cooperation and timely and valuable support for ASEAN countries and Vietnam, especially in narrowing the development gap and developing sub-regions, including the Mekong, and in responding to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Pointing out the potential for open cooperation between ASEAN and Japan in the coming decades, he confirmed that in the role of coordinating ASEAN-Japan relations for the period 2018-2021 and in the coming time, Vietnam always strives to contribute to building a “heart-to-heart” relationship on the basis of mutual trust and the equal partnership between ASEAN and Japan.
On behalf of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Washio Eiichiro also highly appreciated Vietnam's contribution, in the role of coordinator of ASEAN-Japan relations since 2018, achieving many meaningful and practical results. “With the desire to 'build a relationship of mutual trust from heart to heart with Southeast Asian countries as sincere friends', Japan steadfastly promotes strategic partnership and effective cooperation with ASEAN, jointly responding to challenges from the deeply changing and unpredictable regional and international environment,” he said.
He expressed his hope that both sides will focus on implementing the Joint Statement of the 23rd ASEAN-Japan Summit on Cooperation on ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), and shared Japan’s plans to organise activities in celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations, including a Commemorative Summit in Japan in 2023.
At the roundtable, discussions and exchanges focused on highlighting valuable lessons and important foundations gained through nearly five decades of cooperation between ASEAN and Japan. It is the cohesion of interests, especially economic, development between the two sides, strong political commitment of leaders, established and consolidated cooperation mechanisms and frameworks, close relationship between the peoples.
The delegates affirmed their confidence in the bright prospects of the ASEAN-Japan strategic partnership, on the basis of the established foundation, and the increased need for cooperation to jointly cooperate and respond more effectively with the challenges, making efforts to maintain an environment of peace, security, stability and cooperation for prosperous development in the region.
Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, head of the Vietnam ASEAN SOM, emphasised major orientations to promote ASEAN-Japan relations in the coming time, and expressed his belief that Thailand, the next coordinator of ASEAN-Japan relations, will continue to maintain the momentum of cooperation and develop the ties to a new height./.