Vietnam attends SOM to gear up for ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat

Thứ Năm, 06/01/2022, 20:28

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung attended a virtual senior official meeting (SOM) on January 5 to scrutinize preparations for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat (AMMR) set to take place from January 18-19 in Siem Riep, Cambodia.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung 

During the meeting, the Vietnamese diplomat shared other countries’ viewpoints on ASEAN’s major orientations in 2022 and underlined solidarity, prestige and the regional bloc’s central role as decisive factors behind the grouping’s success in the context of the region seeing complex, and unpredictable fluctuations.

He also expressed his confidence that Cambodia would fulfil the role of ASEAN Chair 2022, adding that Vietnam will work hand in hand with the neighbour to make positive contribution to the organization’s success this year.

With regard to the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, Dung hailed the efforts and responsibility of special envoy Dato Erywan and the ASEAN General Secretary and called on ASEAN to enhance its role in humanitarian aid to Myanmar people via the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre), and achieve substantive progress in the special envoy's work.

He affirmed ASEAN’s readiness to help Myanmar seek a long-term and sustainable solution, while voicing his hope that Myanmar will continue to join hands with the bloc in 2022 as a contribution to the building of the ASEAN Community for peace, stability and development in the region.

During the event, the head of the Cambodia ASEAN SOM reviewed the major outcomes recoded by ASEAN in 2021, especially in the implementation of action lines of the master plan on building the ASEAN Community, and promoting external relations and ASEAN’s central role, among others.

With the theme given to the ASEAN Chair 2022 ‘Addressing Challenges Together’, Cambodia introduced orientations and key focus in cooperation of ASEAN this year, underlining the combined efforts of member countries in dealing with emerging challenges, thereby contributing to peace, security, stability and sustainable development in the region.

ASEAN members affirmed their support and close cooperation with Cambodia, the Chair of ASEAN in 2022 with a view to accelerating the building of the ASEAN Community, and maintaining solidarity and surmount current difficulties together.

They also welcomed Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn who was appointed as the ASEAN Chair’s special envoy to Myanmar. They emphasized the need for the regional group to continue realizing the Five-Point Consensus of ASEAN Leaders, including the task of the Special Envoy and humanitarian assistance of ASEAN to the people of Myanmar in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The meeting discussed some proposals to enhance capacity and efficiency of ASEAN in carrying out documents regarding the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

VOV