Diplomatic highlights in November

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse led a Vietnamese high-ranking delegation to attend the 33rd ASEAN Summit and high-level meetings in Singapore from November 13-15 at the invitation of Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong. 

The 33rd ASEAN Summit was the 2nd summit in 2018 under the ASEAN chairmanship of Singapore. Major events of the summit include the 33rd ASEAN Summit Meeting, the ASEAN Plus 3 (China, Japan, the Republic of Korea) Summit, the East Asia Summit, and seven ASEAN Plus 1 Summits with China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the US, India, Australia and Russia. The second high-level meeting was also held for countries engaging in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

During the trip, PM Phuc engaged in a wide range of bilateral and multilateral activities. He attended and addressed 18 meetings and sessions and also had meetings and working sessions with US Vice President Mike Pence, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, the Republic of Korea’s President Moon Jae-in, Australian PM Scott Morrison, Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad, and Bruneian Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

On the sidelines of these events, the Vietnamese PM met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith, and Cambodian PM Hun Sen to discuss measures for promoting bilateral ties. He also received executives of Sembcorp Industries – one of the leading foreign investors in Vietnam with nine Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks (VSIPs).

He and other leaders adopted 20 main documents and 30 thematic ones on different fields, including a joint statement on the negotiation on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a statement on the 45th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation, the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership Vision 2030, a joint statement on ASEAN-Russia strategic partnership, an ASEAN 3 leaders’ statement on cooperation in antimicrobial resistance prevention, and a statement on marine plastic waste fight.

Addressing the summits, PM Phuc stressed that based on what has been obtained in 2018, ASEAN’s resilience and innovation must continue to be promoted in the coming years. ASEAN’s unity must remain the key factor in both thought and actions for the sake of a steady, resilient and strongly cohesive ASEAN Community amid the changing global and regional situation.

With his participation in nearly 30 bilateral and multilateral activities as part of the 33rd ASEAN Summits and related summits, PM Phuc continued to deliver a message of a peaceful, stable, resilient and innovative ASEAN that wants to foster comprehensive, substantive and effective cooperation with partners. His activities highlighted Vietnam as a reformed country with active international integration and a responsible member of the region and the world.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the 26th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, Papua New Guinea, November 18, 2018

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his high-ranking delegation attended the 26th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on November 17-18. 

During the two days, the PM had a program with intense work, including: presence, exchange, sharing ideas at closed sessions, working lunch of leaders APEC leaders, APEC leaders at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ), leaders of the 14 Pacific Islands, APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and bilateral contact meetings with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Vanuatu, Thailand, leaders of various Pacific islands, head of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China); American business alliance in APEC, including some large companies investing in Viet Nam.

During the meetings, the prime minister made a strong statement on the promotion of trade and investment liberalization, support for the WTO, economic integration, sustainable development, coverage and transformation of the digital economy.

The attendance of the 26th APEC Summit of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Viet Nam's accession to APEC (1998-2018) status, highlighted the role Viet Nam on this important regional forum, the active, and responsible participation of Viet Nam in shaping regional economic integration, and her contribution to the common future of the Games. 

Developing ties with strategic partners

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and his spouse began their three-day official visit to Viet Nam on November 18 at the invitation of Vietnamese State President Nguyen Phu Trong. 

During his trip, the Indian leader held talks with Party General Secretary and President Trong, met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and Secretary of the Party Committee of Da Nang city Truong Quang Nghia. 

During meetings, Vietnamese and Indian leaders highlighted the strong development of bilateral relations between Viet Nam and India across fields since they established a Strategic Partnership in 2007 and upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016. 

They agreed to effectively implement the joint vision statement on Viet Nam-India defence relations in the 2015-2020 period; promote links in training human resources; and expand cooperation between their armies, air forces, navies and coast guards as well as cooperation in the field of cyber security and information sharing.  

French PM Edouard Philippe (L) and PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Ha Noi, November 3, 2018 - Photo: AFP

French PM Edouard Philippe paid an official visit to Viet Nam from November 2-4 at the invitation of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.  

During his stay in Vietnam, PM Edouard Philippe held talks with PM Phuc and paid a courtesy visit to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong. He also met with Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Thien Nhan and Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung. 

In the spirit of mutual understanding and trust, both sides discussed measures to bolster their bilateral ties and international and regional issues of mutual interests. They affirmed their determination to boost ties after five years of signing the Viet Nam-France Strategic Partnership (2013-2018) and 45 years of diplomatic relations.

They reached consensus on promoting collaboration in developing e-government and modernizing state administrative management - a new cooperation field full of prospects. Also, they were concurred to deepen cooperation in culture, and join hands to ensure the successful organization of the 11th conference on cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities slated for April 2019 in Toulouse. 

The two PMs witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the nations across fields, including those in training, e-Government development, health care, climate change adaptation, and environmental protection, provision of Airbus aircraft, urban management and energy.

Russian PM Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev paid an official visit to Viet Nam from November 18-19. 

The Vietnamese and Russian sides discussed orientations and measures to boost cooperation across many fields towards deepening the two nations’ strategic partnership.

They agreed to celebrate the Viet Nam Year in Russia and the Russia Year in Viet Nam during 2019-2020 to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the treaty on fundamental principles of Viet Nam-Russia friendly relations (2019) and the 70th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (2020).

To optimize opportunities brought by the Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union, both sides promised to coordinate and gradually address barriers on the import and export of goods, especially agro-fishery-forestry products, with the aim to raise two-way trade to US$ 10 billion by 2020.

In November, President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers of Cuba Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez and his spouse concluded their three-day official friendship visit to Viet Nam on November 10 at the invitation of the State President and PM of Viet Nam.

During the visit, the Cuban leader held talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong. 

Under the witness of the two leaders, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung, representing the Vietnamese Government, and Vice President of the Cuban Council of Ministers Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, on behalf of the Cuban Government, signed a new trade agreement and a protocol on capital disbursement and financial management of cooperation in rice production development for 2019-2023.

They agreed to direct ministries and sectors to actively promote the implementation of the bilateral trade cooperation agreement, seek ways to facilitate businesses’ access to each other’s markets, and strive to raise trade to US$ 500 million by 2022.

Earlier, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the first China International Import Expo (CIIE 2018) in Shanghai city at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Addressing the opening ceremony of CIIE 2018, where Viet Nam was chosen as a guest of honor, PM Phuc spoke highly of the exhibition, which showed the wish for win-win cooperation and promotion of economic and trade partnerships to give a strong boost to regional and global economic growth.

He stressed that as a neighbor with traditional friendship, Viet Nam always attaches importance to enhancing stable cooperation with China and wants to join the latter – its biggest trade partner – to step up economic and trade ties in a sustainable and mutually beneficial manner./. 

By Kim Anh