Themed “Consolidating multilateral system: Promoting ASEM partnership to respond to global challenges,” the session called on the bloc to uphold its key role to effectively promote the multilateral system and law-based world order.

Addressing the session, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered three key proposals.

First, ASEM needs to boost multilateral cooperation and international order. Both Asia and Europe must work closely together to settle traditional and non-traditional challenges, maintain peace, boost dialogue, build trust, and comply with international law and common norms. ASEM needs to promote a balanced global economic-financial administration, and an open, transparent, inclusive, and law-based multilateral trade system, while improving the role of the World Trade Organization in the new period.

Second, ASEM must take the lead in implementing commitment to responding to climate change and natural disasters, and sustainably managing resources, food security, energy, water sources, the Mekong-Danube cooperation, and reducing plastic waste discharged in the oceans. ASEM’s developed members support developing members in financial access, technological transfer, investment in clean energy, and shifting to green economy.

Third, sustainable, inclusive development combined with innovation must become the center of ASEM cooperation. It’s necessary to boost socio-economic inclusive growth, sustainable poverty reduction, quality education, human resource development in digital era, linkage of innovative centers and R&D centers within ASEM, linkage of female businesswomen networks, and people-to-people exchanges. ASEM needs to help vulnerable group of people to access digital technology, adapt to changes, and respond to risks.

PM Phuc said Vietnam continues to pursue its policy of international integration and elevating multilateral diplomacy.