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Khanh Hoa (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on January 17 presided over a retreat of the foreign ministers of the ASEAN countries (AMM Retreat), with the participation of the foreign ministers of other ASEAN members and the bloc’s Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi. This is the first meeting of the ASEAN top diplomats this year to discuss the priority orientations of the regional grouping this year, especially the building of the community, the bloc’s foreign relations, and international and regional issues. The ministers expressed their support and held that the themes and priority orientations tabled by Vietnam for ASEAN 2020 are suitable to the goal of the building of the ASEAN Community. ASEAN 2020 cooperation will focus on the fortification of the grouping’s solidarity and unity, and others. The ministers also agreed to push up the cooperation for the protection of the environment, peace, security and gender equity. … [Read more...] about ASEAN 2020: ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ retreat

13. We reaffirmed the need for ASEAN to be more visible and to play an enhanced role in supporting Myanmar through providing humanitarian assistance, facilitating the repatriation process, and promoting sustainable development in Rakhine State. We noted the progress and appreciated the efforts of the Secretary-General of ASEAN in leading the implementation of the recommendations of the ASEAN-Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ERAT) Preliminary Needs Assessment (PNA) to facilitate the repatriation of displaced persons in Rakhine State. We noted the establishment of an Ad-hoc Support Team (AHAST) of the ASEAN Secretariat to focus on supporting the implementation of the recommendations of the PNA and look forward to the conduct of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA). We tasked AHAST to identify further concrete projects through which ASEAN could help improve the ground conditions in Rakhine State. We encouraged the continued dialogue between Myanmar and Bangladesh to facilitate … [Read more...] about Press Statement by Chairman of ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat

Hanoi (VNA) – Friendship and cooperation have been the mainstream of Vietnam-China relations over the past seven decades, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed in his article on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic relationship. Minh, who is also head of the Vietnam sub-committee in the Vietnam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, said 2020 has an important meaning in the two countries’ traditional friendship as they celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties and look back at the neighbourly friendship built and nurtured by late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong along with the two countries’ revolutionary predecessors. According to the Deputy PM, January 18, 1950 went into the history of Vietnam-China relations as an important milestone. Not long after its establishment, the People’s Republic of China became the first country in the world to set up diplomatic … [Read more...] about Friendship and cooperation – mainstream of Vietnam-China relations

Khanh Hoa (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh received Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof in Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province, on January 17 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ retreat. The two expressed their delight at the new development in the relations between the two countries, especially since the establishment of their comprehensive partnership in 2019. Minh proposed that the two sides continue to closely coordinate in implementing the outcome of the visit by the Brunei Sultan, towards bringing bilateral trade revenue to 500 million USD in 2025. The Brunei minister congratulated Vietnam on its recent development and integration achievements, expressed his belief and pledged to support Vietnam to successfully shoulder the roles of the ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the 2020-2021 term. The two agreed that Vietnam and Brunei should … [Read more...] about Vietnam, Brunei agree to push comprehensive partnership

Valuable experience during the negotiations on the land border and delimitation of the Tonkin Gulf, together with the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues and common perception between leaders, created a prerequisite and trust for the two sides to continue talking to seek measures to settle the East Sea issue. This would follow a peaceful manner on the basis of the two countries’ long-lasting friendship, respect for legitimate rights and interests of each other, and in accordance with international law, particularly the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) between ASEAN and China. … [Read more...] about Friendship and cooperation – main theme of Việt Nam-China relations