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Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (right) meets with Lao Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith in New York on September 20. |
The meetings took place on the occasion of their attendance in the high-level general debate of the United Nations General Assembly.
Talking to Kommasith, Son applauded the sound development of the two countries’ relations, especially high-level mutual visits and meetings, and the promotion of key cooperation projects in the recent past.
The Lao official spoke highly of the success of the delegation exchanges between the countries’ Party and State leaders, especially the meeting among the leaders of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, and the Cambodian People’s Party in Hanoi on September 6.
The two sides agreed to coordinate closely to prepare for high-level activities between the Vietnamese and Lao parties and governments, coming events of inter-sectoral cooperation mechanisms, and some cooperation projects. The countries will also keep close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums.
Minister Son affirmed Vietnam’s support for and efforts to help Laos fulfill its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2024.
At the meeting with Manele, Son stressed that Vietnam always attaches importance to developing cooperation with Pacific island countries, particularly the Salomon Islands.
Both sides agreed to consider the establishment of cooperation mechanisms; sign documents and agreements in the areas the countries are strong at such as trade - investment, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, and climate change response to serve as stepping stones for cooperation; and enhance collaboration and mutual support at multilateral forums.
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Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (right) and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Uganda Henry Oryem Okello at their meeting in New York on September 20 |
Receiving Okello, Son highly valued the visit to Vietnam by Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni last November, and asked the two countries to press on with implementing the trip’s outcomes to substantively develop multifaceted cooperation.
Okello emphasized that his country admires Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements and wishes the two sides will boost discussion to expand ties in agriculture and telecommunications infrastructure.
The two officials agreed that their countries will strengthen cooperation and mutual support at multilateral forums, including the U.N., the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Group of 77 (G77).
Meeting with Sefcovic, Son noted with satisfaction the increasingly extensive and substantive strides in the Vietnam - E.U. relations, and affirmed that the E.U. is one of the leading partners of Vietnam, calling on both sides to maintain and bring into play cooperation and dialogue mechanisms.
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Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (right) and Vice President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations Maros Sefcovic meet in New York on September 20. |
The Vietnamese minister also appealed to the European Council to raise its voice to persuade the E.U. to soon remove the “yellow card” warning over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing for fishery exports of the Southeast Asian nation.
Sefcovic said he attaches importance to the E.U. - Vietnam cooperation and also shared the view on Son’s proposals.
Both officials also touched upon measures for realizing climate change response commitments and the Political Declaration on establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between Vietnam and the G7 countries.
At the meetings, Minister Son affirmed Vietnam and ASEAN’s common stance on peacefully settling disputes on the basis of international law, including the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, and guaranteeing the safety and security of navigation and overflight in the East Sea (South China Sea).
Source: VNA