Weekly digest – November 16-22

ASEAN leaders sign landmark deal to establish Community

ASEAN leaders signed the Declaration on the establishment of the ASEAN Community in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on November 22 marking a landmark in the development history of the bloc.

Accordingly, ASEAN’s ten member countries will be a single market and production base since January 1 next year, further opening up the market that has a combined population of 630 million.

Eight professions including doctors, nurses and accountants will be able to work in any ASEAN member country.

The regional leaders pledge to realize the Community by reforming working methods and coordination, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of all ASEAN organs, including the ASEAN Secretariat.

State President calls for enhancing economic linkages at APEC Summit

State President Truong Tan Sang urged APEC economies to further accelerate economic connectivity to achieve the goals of sustainable development while attending the 23rd APEC Summit which opened in Manila, the Philippines, on November 19.

He stressed the need for APEC to intensify public-private partnership and coordinate closely with other regional and international mechanisms in carrying on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and a new global agreement on climate change.

State President Sang welcomed the approval of the APEC Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction and the Action Plan on Food Security, affirming that they will be necessary contributions to implementing the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction.

State President holds talks with Philippine counterpart

State President Truong Tan Sang on November 17 held talks with Philippine President Benigno Aquino on the sidelines of the 23rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in the Philippines.

The two leaders said that the establishment of the Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and the Philippines is crucial, opening a new era in the two nations’ relationship and contributing to the regional peace, prosperity and stability.

They reiterated the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, safety, and maritime and aviation freedom in the East Sea, and settling disputes at sea in line with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

PM meets with high-ranking leaders on sideline of ASEAN

PM Nguyen Tan Dung meet with U.S. President Barack Obama, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Australian PM Malcom Turnbull, Russian PM Medvedev and Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the 27th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Viet Nam expects to further strengthen the comprehensive partnership relations with the US, affirmed PM Nguyen Tan Dung while meeting with US President Barack Obama in Kuala Lumpur on November 21.

Regarding the East Sea issue, President Obama affirmed that the US supports Viet Nam’s position, calling on Viet Nam and other ASEAN member countries to raise a common voice and enhance coordination in addressing disputes peacefully on the basis of international law and regional agreements.

PM Dung took the occasion to invite President Obama to visit Viet Nam soon. The US President accepted the invitation.

PM clarifies relations with China at National Assembly hearing

PM Nguyen Tan Dung clarified questions regarding the relations between Viet Nam and China raised by legislators at the National Assembly’s accountability hearing on November 18.

Viet Nam does its utmost to strengthen the cooperative and fair relations with China in all fields for the sake of both, he said.

Viet Nam consistently struggles to protect the national independence, sovereignty and benefits based on guidelines and resolutions of the Party, the Constitution and laws and the United Nations Charter, international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 and the regional commitments.

Along with the socio-economic development, Viet Nam needs to strengthen the national defense and security, improve diplomatic works, maintain social order and safety, enhance the great unity bloc and the aggregated strength of the whole nation, take advantage of the support of the international community and create a peaceful and favorable environment for nation-building and development.

Party and State leaders receive New Zealand PM

On November 16, Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong and President Truong Tan Sang received New Zealand PM John Key currently on a visit to Viet Nam from November 15-18 at the invitation of PM Nguyen Tan Dung.

Meeting with the Party leader, PM John Key briefed him on the outcomes of his talks with PM Nguyen Tan Dung.

At a reception for the NZ PM the same day, President Sang expressed his delight at bilateral cooperation in all sectors and appreciated New Zealand’s support for Viet Nam at international forums and Viet Nam’s views on the East Sea issue.

Malaysia, VN agree on closer strategic partnership

Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh and Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman have agreed on initiatives to further bilateral strategic partnership across politics, economics, national defence-security and labour.

Their meeting took place on the sidelines of the 27th ASEAN Summit and related meetings held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Deputy PM Minh hailed Malaysia for its responsible and active contributions to ASEAN as the bloc’s Chair, given that the common ASEAN Community is to be established.

Both sides discussed accelerating the signing of the 2015-2018 Action Plan as well as the agreements on extradition and transfer of sentenced prisoners, and a governmental-level memorandum of understanding on rice trade.

VN calls for maintaining peaceful, stable seas in East Asia

A Vietnamese government leader has called for joint efforts to maintain the seas of East Asia as an environment of peace and stability, promote the enforcement of international laws, and ensure maritime and air transportation and safety.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 5th East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress themed “Global targets, local benefits – Setting the Sustainable Development Agenda for the Seas of East Asia beyond 2015” in the central city of Da Nang on November 16, Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai affirmed that Viet Nam will cooperate with related countries and organizations to maintain the blue color of the seas and the blue color of peace for an East Asian region of peace, stability, cooperation and development.

Related parties must strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the seas as well as in the field of environmental protection, biodiversity and fishery resources for the sustainable development of marine, coastal and island economy, he said.

MoU signed to bolster VN-Cuba multifaceted ties

The 33rd meeting of the Viet Nam-Cuba Inter-governmental Committee wound up in Ha Noi on November 19 with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked to enhance bilateral cooperation across the board.

During the three-day event, the two sides reviewed the implementation of agreements reached at the 32rd meeting last year and worked out solutions to existing problems. 

They determined feasible scopes of cooperation for the next year on the basis of their respective potential and demand and priorities set in the mid-term bilateral economic agenda between 2015 and 2020. 

VN, South Africa hold defense policy dialogue

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister and South African Secretary for Defense and Military Veterans Sam Makhudu Gulube co- chaired the defense policy dialogue in Ha Noi on November 17.

During the event, both sides discussed on their defense policies and regional situation and put forward measures for the bilateral defense cooperation in the time to come.

The two countries agreed to further enhance the exchange of delegations at all levels, training, experience sharing in peacekeeping operations, as well as defense industry cooperation.

By Thuy Dung