LookAtVietnam – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called for specific and practical action to cope with the global economic crisis at the opening of the ninth ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting in Ha Noi yesterday.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung at the meeting. (Photo: VOV)

These challenges included climate change, pandemics, energy security and terrorism.

The challenges not only affect 6.7 billion lives on earth, but also future generations.

“The current international situation requires ASEM to build up a new and more sustained economic and financial system to assist international efforts in reviving the world economy and addressing global issues,” he said.

ASEM should also act to improve the effectiveness of its co-operation and its international status.

It was hoped the Ha Noi meeting would send a strong message showing the determination ASEM members to work together to overcome the crisis, respond to the global challenges and contribute to common international efforts.

The Prime Minister said that although Viet Nam had also suffered from the impact of global economic and financial crisis, the Government and people had taken “comprehensive and appropriate measures” to maintain macro-economic stability and safety of the credit system.

Inflation was under control and growth sustained at 6.2 per cent in 2008 and 3.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year.

The growth of Gross Domestic Product was expected to be about 5 per cent this year and higher in the following years.

“Viet Nam is determined to step up her international integration and the hosting of FMM9 is a testimony to that determination,” he said.

The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of the inception of ASEM in 1996.

“It not only filled a ‘missing link’ in international relations, but also showed the determination of the people of the two continents to forge a partnership,” he said.

Four hundred delegates

More than 400 delegates are attending the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) that has its theme: “Forging a closer Asia-Europe Partnership to Address the Financial and Economic crisis and other Global Challenges.”

Participants include Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, 22 foreign ministers, other high-ranking diplomats and representatives from 45 ASEM member countries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem highlighted five key issues to be discussed at the conference.

The first was economic co-operation which he described as “one of our priorities”.

The deputy Prime Minister said the global economic crisis was having an adverse impact on economies with deep social consequences that needed comprehensive consideration.

The role of international financial institutions; the achievement of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development were also matters of concern, he said.

The second key issue was how to strengthen co-operation to deal with global climate change, energy security and international terrorism.

“I hope the meeting ends with effective measures to address the issues and to make concrete recommendations to the UN Conference on Climate Change to be held in Copenhagen this November,” he said.

The third key issue was to promote the political dialogue about both the global and regional situation and the fourth, to strengthen dialogue among the cultures and civilisations of the two continents.

Another important task was to devise measures to make co-ordination and co-operation within ASEM more effective.

Planning to enlarge ASEM and prepare for ASEM 8 in Brussels in 2010 should begin now, he said.

China’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yang Jiechi called for the opposition against all forms of protectionism and action to help developing countries maintain financial stability.

The foreign minister suggested that “all-out efforts” should be made to enhance communications so as to ensure the security of global public health within the framework of international health regulations and to counter the threat of the H1N1 virus and other infectious diseases.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the Doha negotiations round should be restarted and ASEM’s economic ministers meet early to deal with the financial and economic meltdown.

The foreign minister said he expected Australia and Russia would join ASEM for the Brussels meeting.

The head of the European Commission Delegation, Benita Ferrero Waldner, who is the European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, said she highly appreciated Viet Nam’s active contribution in ASEM.

She said this included the successful organisation of the fifth Asia–Europe Summit and well-prepared arrangements for this year’s foreign ministers’ meeting.

Waldner highlighted the outcomes of the seventh Asia–Europe Summit and noted with pleasure that their implementation would be discussed this week. She said she also hoped that more Asian countries would be admitted to ASEM.

The Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jan Kohout, who is the current President of the EU, underlined the significance of ASEM and agreed with the idea of promoting co-operation in ASEM.

First session

The first session of the foreign ministers’ meeting yesterday spoke of strengthening co-operation to address the global financial and economic crisis.

Guest speaker Akira Ariyoshi, director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) office for Asia and the Pacific, evaluated impacts of the crisis on regional economies and suggested some solutions.

The session agreed on the need for closer co-operation by ASEM nations to respond to the crisis and to fully implement the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.

The session agreed on various solutions to promote efforts towards an open and equitable multilateral system of trade and finance.

It also agreed to strengthen economic co-operation in ASEM to implement declarations approved by its leaders, such as the Ha Noi Declaration on Closer ASEM Economic Partnership in 2004 and the Beijing Statement on the International Financial Situation in 2008.

It also agreed on the early resumption of the ASEM Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EMM) and the ASEM Finance Ministers’ Meeting in 2010.

Future bright with Japan

Viet Nam was optimistic about the bright future of Viet Nam-Japan relations, President Nguyen Minh Triet told visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone yesterday.

He said the attendance of Nakasone showed that the Japanese Government attached much importance to ASEM and relations with Viet Nam.

He said recent combined efforts to overcome impediments in relations between Viet Nam and Japan confirmed that the two countries trusted each other.

Nakasone said good relations were reflected by the exchange of high-ranking visits by leaders of both countries. He said Japan wanted Viet Nam to closely co-operate on reforms at the United Nations Security Council.

President Triet also met Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak on the sidelines of the foreign ministers’ meeting yesterday. Triet said Viet Nam wanted to speed up co-operation in trade and investment with Slovakia.

He asked the Slovakian Government to continue backing Viet Nam’s efforts to penetrate the EU market and helping it overcome current difficulties in relations.

Lajcak said the Slovakian Government was considering inviting more Vietnamese students to study in Slovakia.

Singapore interest

Singapore expressed its wish to invest in Viet Nam’s central provinces in the industrial development and tourism sectors and hoped that there would be support for Singaporean enterprises there.

Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs George Yeo made the statement in a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday in Ha Noi.

During the meeting, George Yeo stressed the sound relationship between the two countries, saying that Singapore’s investment projects in Viet Nam have developed and were providing practical benefits to both sides.

In a time of economic crises, the two countries efficiently implemented the Viet Nam-Singapore Connection Agreement, particularly with investment into the Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial parks in southern Binh Duong province (VSIP 1 and VSIP 2), said PM Dung, adding he expects this model to be expanded to northern Bac Ninh Province and in Hai Phong City.

Dung showed his support for Singapore’s intention to invest in the Viet Nam’s central provinces and suggested an increase in the number of direct flights and ferries from Singapore to Da Nang and Hue city, in addition to promoting co-operation in education and training.

On the same day, PM Dung received Poland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

The Polish minister said that Viet Nam and Poland should tighten their friendship to continue development in the face of world-wide crisis.

Poland was ready to supply US$280 million in credit to help Viet Nam develop its shipbuilding industry and other sectors, he said.

PM Dung expressed his belief that the discussion between the Polish Foreign Affairs Minister and his Vietnamese counterpart would contribute to fostering the bilateral relationship.

Dung was pleased at the increase in bilateral trade, applauded the doubling of Poland’s scholarships granted to Viet Nam’s student and hoped Poland would continue to support the Vietnamese community there.

Meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt and European Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner, PM Dung stressed that Viet Nam always considered EU a strategic, comprehensive and important partner.

Viet Nam always wished to boost comprehensive co-operation with EU member countries and the European Commission on the basis of mutual respect and for mutual interests, Dung said.

The foreign affairs ministers thanked Dung for his welcome and expressed their delight at achievements Viet Nam has made during its renovation process, especially in improving people’s living standards.

They highly appreciated Viet Nam’s careful preparation for the 9th ASEM-FMM and hoped that Viet Nam, as host, would take active part in the meeting to speak in a common voice on issues of mutual interest, particularly in coping with climate change. They also hoped that Viet Nam would be a pioneer in the region by completing the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA) with the EU.

Applauding the efforts of Asian and European foreign ministers to seek agreement between the two continents for coping with global problems such as climate change and economic crisis, PM Dung said that 9th ASEM-FMM’s working programme was very practical for not only the two continents but also the international community.

Dung said that the country would try to complete PCA negotiations with the EU by 2010.

Important contributions

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem yesterday welcomed Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Khiem placed high value on China’s important contributions to Asia-Europe co-operation, and said he hoped China would continue its role in the time to come. Minister Yang said he believed that the FMM 9 would be successful in helping to implement the common understanding participants gained at the 7th Asia-Europe Summit held in Beijing last year. He also said he hoped to raise Asia’s voice within ASEM and boost co-operation within ASEM to be more practical and effective.

Regarding territorial issues, the two sides agreed to firmly co-operate for completion of remaining border demarcation tasks and to actively negotiate sea issues.

On the same day, Khiem met Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Hor Namhong.

The two sides agreed to co-ordinate for the successful organisation of a border province co-operation and development conference, which is expected to be held in early June, and also for the 11th Joint Committee on Culture, Economics, Science and Technology session between the two countries by the end of this year in Cambodia.

Also yesterday, Khiem met with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

They also agreed to work out practical measures for the implementation of a $280 million credit line that the Polish government gave to Viet Nam. The two sides agreed to boost co-operation in education, training and culture.

Also yesterday, Khiem met with Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Usackas, and Netherlands Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen.

Khiem said he was happy to see active development of the friendship and multifaceted co-operation between Viet Nam and European countries, and thanked the governments of the Netherlands, Slovakia and Lithuania for their valuable support to Viet Nam during the country’s previous struggles for national independence and reunification, as well as in its ongoing renewal and building. He asked the three countries to continue their support to Viet Nam for the development of comprehensive co-operation with the European Union and to raise the level of co-operation with Viet Nam in multilateral forums.

The three foreign ministers affirmed that their countries were determined to maintain and further boost their friendship and multifaceted co-operation with Viet Nam, and share experiences with Viet Nam in different aspects.

Khiem also met with South Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan.

The two sides agreed to co-operate closely to prepare for Prime Minister Dung’s first official visit to South Korea on Friday and for his participation in the South Korea-ASEAN high-level meeting.

The visit is expected to bring the relationship between the two countries to new heights for mutual interest, for peace in the region and the world, and for stability and co-operation toward common development.

Khiem thanked the South Korean Government’s commitment to consider recognising Viet Nam as a market economy.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News