32nd ACC Meeting held in Jakarta

The meeting was chaired by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Matsudi. Speaking at the event, Minister Retno Matsudi stressed that ASEAN is facing numerous challenges and instabilities. Therefore, it is neccessary to maintain solidarity, central role and vitality of ASEAN, contributing to affirming the role of ASEAN as a key factor to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (center) joins the meeting.

At the meeting, ASEAN foreign ministers expressed their supports and committment to collaborate with the host Indonesia to actualize the set priorities while stressing the need of improving the effeciency of ASEAN activities. The regional states agreed to consider a number of issues such as strengthening the role and functions of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN Secretary-General; or improving the efficiency of inter-sectoral and inter-pillar coordination and proposing solutions to mobilize resources for ASEAN activities.

Following the direction of leaders at the recent 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits, the foreign ministers discussed Timor Leste's mode of participation at ASEAN meetings and the road-map for admitting the country to be a member of ASEAN.

ASEAN foreign ministers and Secretary-General of ASEAN in a joint photo at the event

Speaking at the event, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son affirmed that Vietnam is willing to cooperate with Indonesia to support the country fulfill its duties as the ASEAN Chair in 2023. He expressed his trust in the proposals of the host, especially in recovery and capacity building of the health system and ASEAN's readiness to respond to future pandemic risks. He pledged that Vietnam will participate and contribute actively and responsibly to the discussion of measures to improve ASEAN's institutional capacity. He emphasized that this is an important factor to enhance the resilience and adaptability of ASEAN in prior to complicated and unpredictable fluctuations in the region and the world.

On the sideline of the 32nd ACC Meeting, Minister Bui Thanh Son met bilaterally with Foreign Ministers of Cambodia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

Translated by Chung Anh