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| The Vietnamese delegation attends the ASEAN-India Special Meeting of Foreign Ministers. |
Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of SOM ASEAN Vietnam confirmed that Vietnam makes positive contributions to ASEAN-India relations, during an interview granted for the press.
Reporter: Could you please tell us about the significance and most notable results of the ASEAN-India Special Meeting of Foreign Ministers?
Ambassador Vu Ho: The ASEAN-India Special Meeting of Foreign Ministers has many special meanings. First of all, this is a conference marking the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-India partnership. Secondly, this is the first meeting between ASEAN and India to be held directly after the interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirdly, the conference is also an opportunity for the parties to assess the current international and regional situation and complicated fluctuations, in order to jointly come up with future orientations for cooperation between ASEAN and India in the coming time. Fourthly, with great significance, through this meeting, Vietnam has sent a message of peace, stability, cooperation and dialogue to all countries in the international community and the region.
The ASEAN-India Special Meeting of Foreign Ministers has achieved many important results. One of the main results is that both sides clearly see the values of peace and stability, the value of cooperation, the value of dialogue, and the common striving for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
Based on the long tradition of relations between Southeast Asia and India, it can be seen that both sides are eager to raise the ASEAN-India relationship to a new height. Currently, ASEAN and India are strategic partners of each other. In the context of the current complicated international and regional situation in the region and in the world, the spirit of dialogue and cooperation must be maintained. This is the message sent through this meeting.
The parties have re-evaluated all cooperation activities in the past time, especially during the broken period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ASEAN-India cooperation in the coming time will focus on taking advantage of all the achievements as well as the great potential of both sides. For example, the ASEAN-India market is nearly 2 billion people. This is one of the great potentials in economic and trade cooperation between ASEAN and India.
Another result is the determination of countries to maintain peace and stability in the region through dialogue, negotiation and confidence-building. It can be seen that all disputes and disagreements in the region still take place regularly. In that context, ASEAN as well as India pledged to rely on dialogue and cooperation to reduce disagreements and contradictions in relations between countries and countries.
Reporter: As an active member of ASEAN, what specific contributions have Vietnam made to the success of this conference?
Ambassador Vu Ho: Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son participated very actively and proactively in all activities of the meeting, bringing to the meeting the spirit of Vietnam, bringing to India the spirit of 50 years of Vietnam-India relations.
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son's speech focused on promoting close ties between India and ASEAN, as well as with Vietnam in all regional issues, taking advantage of existing results and promoting the potential between ASEAN in general, Vietnam in particular, and India in order to elevate the relationship.
At the meeting, Minister Bui Thanh Son clearly affirmed Vietnam's views and stance on international and regional issues.
In addition to contributing to the success of the meeting, I think that Vietnam's contribution is also the transmission of the message of our Party and State after the success of the 13th Party Congress to India, especially when Minister Bui Thanh Son participated in the 12th Delhi Dialogue, an important dialogue forum in South Asia on policy issues, in addition to the ASEAN-India Special Meeting of Foreign Ministers.
I believe that Vietnam's contributions to the success of the meeting will continue to be promoted in the coming time. The proposals of Vietnam raised at the meeting will become a common property in cooperation between Vietnam and India.
Reporter: Thank you!