Promoting ASEAN-Japan and ASEAN-RoK Partnership

On October 29, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung chaired the 13th ASEAN-Japan Summit and the 13th ASEAN- the Republic of Korea (RoK) Summit with the participation of Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Korean President Lee Myung-bak, and ASEAN leaders.

At the ASEAN-Japan Summit, leaders devised development strategies for the ASEAN-Japan talks and compared notes on regional and international issues of common concern.

In his opening speech, PM Dung highlighted the ASEAN-Japan strategic leadership as one of ASEAN’s most important relationships and praised Japan’s great support and assistance for ASEAN in building the ASEAN community and bridging the development gap.

Vietnam and ASEAN also stated they want to further deepen the ASEAN-Japan comprehensive cooperation and tap all potentials to make their relations more substantive and effective thus promoting a wider connectivity in East Asia.

As coordinator for ASEAN-Japan relations, Indonesia briefed the summit on new developments in the talks between the two sides, particularly the outcome of an action plan on “Tokyo Declaration for the Dynamic and Enduring ASEAN-Japan Partnership in the new millennium”.

ASEAN leaders applauded Japan’s support for the central role of ASEAN in the regional process and supported the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF)’s activities, including US$62 million in relief aid to cope with the financial crisis in Asia.

ASEAN and Japan agreed to intensify specific measures to strengthen a long-term strategic partnership and friendship for the sake of peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

The leaders discussed ways of promoting economic and trade cooperation, the effective implementation of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement, and sub-regional development cooperation.

They also underscored the need to carry out “A Decade toward the Green Mekong” Initiative for sustainable development in the Mekong region and deal with global issues related to environmental degradation, climate change, natural disasters, epidemics, anti-terrorism, sea security, and energy security.

ASEAN and Japan agreed to increase consultations and exchange views on regional and international issues of common concern in a bid to maintain peace, stability and development in the East Asian region, recover the economy, ensure sustainable development and cope with emerging challenges.

The Chair’s statement on the outcome of the 13th ASEAN-Japan Summit was released.

In his speech at 13th ASEAN- the Republic of Korea (RoK) Summit, PM Dung said ASEAN is keen to elevate relations with Korea to a higher level and backed a proposal to upgrade ASEAN-Korean relations from a comprehensive partnership and strategic partnership to a joint declaration on strategic partnership for peace and prosperity.

ASEAN leaders expressed their delight at the fine development and cooperation between ASEAN and Korea after more than two decades of building their partnership. They hailed Korea’s New Asia Initiative which gives priority to increasing cooperation with ASEAN.

They noted their satisfaction with the effective implementation of an action plan on a joint declaration of comprehensive cooperation and partnership in the 2006-2010 period and adopted an action plan for 2011-2015 with a variety of important and practical measures.

On economics and trade, ASEAN and Korea agreed to speed up the effective implementation of agreements under the ASEAN- Korea Free Trade Area (AKFTA) framework and pledged to raise two-way trade turnover to US$150 billion by 2015.

ASEAN praised Korea’s support and assistance for joint effort to build an ASEAN community by 2015 and narrow the development gap as well as the positive results of cooperation in priority areas such as culture, arts, people-to-people exchange, tourism, information and technology, education, the environment, climate change, food security and epidemic and natural disaster control.

ASEAN leaders spoke highly of RoK’s “Low Carbon, Green Growth” initiative to cope with climate change and sustainable development.

ASEAN leaders voiced their support for talks concerning peace, security and stability as well as efforts to resume six-party talks on the non-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

ASEAN praise Korea for holding G-20 Chair and inviting ASEAN Chair to attend the G-20 Summit scheduled for November.

The summit also released a joint declaration on the outcomes and several decisions made at the 13th ASEAN-Korea Summit. – VOV

Tags: ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN-RoK