Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attends the ASEAN-Australia Foreign Ministers Meeting. Photo: Pham Kien/VNA

Addressing the event, Foreign Minister Son welcomed the ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership’s new development stage with the official organization of their annual summit from this year.

He suggested that Australia continue to support ASEAN countries in responding to COVID-19 in a timely and effective manner, underlining that ASEAN and Australia should work harder to ensure the maintenance of market opening and the stability of supply chains’ connectivity. Both sides should effectively optimize regional trade agreements, he said, encouraging Australia to engage deeper in efforts to narrow development gap and ensure inclusive growth in sub-regions, including the Mekong sub-region.

The Vietnamese Foreign Minister proposed that Australia coordinate in strengthening dialogue and trust building as well as encouraging restraint and respect for international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He affirmed ASEAN’s commitment to fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and continuing efforts to reach an effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the UNCLOS 1982.

Highlighting the firm foundation of the ASEAN-Australia relations since 1974, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne affirmed that Australia attaches great importance to partnership with ASEAN and supports the bloc’s central role.

She said that Australia is implementing a 500 million AUD (370.84 million USD) package to support comprehensive recovery in the region. She affirmed Australia’s commitment to conducting the medical security and vaccine access initiative worth 523 million AUD as well as assisting ASEAN in realizing the Comprehensive Recovery Framework.

Australia will provide scholarships for 40 medical experts and workers from ASEAN countries and will organize an ASEAN-Australia dialogue on mental health for youngsters in the time to come.

The two sides agreed to continue to optimize the ASEAN - Australia - New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), while soon ratifying the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and expanding cooperation in digital transformation, innovative economy, digital economy, and infrastructure development to promote recovery and growth.