PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse were welcomed at Palam military airport, India, on January 24. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Trade and investment cooperationshould be targeted as the main engine and first priority for the ASEAN-Indiastrategic partnership, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The PM made the suggestions in an interview he granted to severalIndian newspapers before his trip to India to attend the ASEAN-IndiaCommemorative Summit and the celebration of the 69th anniversary ofIndian Republic Day from January 24-26 at the invitation of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi.
In order to advance the ASEAN-India relationship to a new height,it is necessary to fully tap into the potentials of the two most dynamiceconomic regions with a combined population of 1.85 billion and total GDP of3.8 trillion USD in 2017, which is the size of the world's 4th largest economy with theprojection to exceed 8 trillion USD by 2025, PM Phuc said.
He alsourged the two sides to effectively implement agreements on trade and investmentin order to unleash the two sides' inherent potentials.
The Vietnamese leaderstressed that connectivity should be placed as a strategic priority. Suchprojects and commitments as the India-Thailand-Myanmar Highway, the agreementson maritime transport, aviation, and the credit line of 1 billion USD tosupport physical and digital connectivity, among others, are of specialimportance and should be seamlessly implemented in order to facilitate tradeand investment.
ASEANshould undertake comprehensive cooperation in various areas with India on thebasis of peace, stability and rule-of-law in the region and at the Indian Oceanand Pacific Ocean, in the context that both sides are confronted with hotspots, geo-political tensions, religious extremism, terrorism, climate changeand cyber security, he said.
Also,with the advance of the 4th Industrial Revolution, India as a leading countrymay forge stronger cooperation with ASEAN in such areas as innovation,connectivity of various industrial sectors and participation in global valuechains, which in turn will help create an enabling environment for thedevelopment of bilateral ties.
Vietnamhas been making every effort together with other ASEAN countries to realize the"ASEAN 2025 Vision" in connection with India's Act East Policy, PMPhuc emphasized.
Answeringreporters’ queries on the progress on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC),he said the maintenance of peace, stability, security, safety and freedom ofnavigation and overflight on all oceans in general and the region in particularis a goal and mission shared by all countries. To achieve this goal, allcountries need to respect international law, including the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea and relevant processes.
Negotiations between ASEAN and China for the COCbegan during the closing years of the last century. As the regional situationis developing in complex ways and militarization tends to mount, the successfulformulation of a legally binding COC will be both an important contribution toregional peace and stability in the region in general and in the East Sea inparticular, he said.
In2017, there were a number of new developments in the process of building the COC,including the ASEAN and China's adoption of the COC Framework and thedeclaration of the two sides' leaders announcing the initialization of COCnegotiations.
Theseare positive and commendable signs, and all parties need to maintain thisatmosphere both during the negotiation and on the ground at sea. In particular,parties need to fully observe their obligations in the DOC and undertakerelevant confidence-building measures, PM suggested.
Heunderlined that the ASEAN - India strategic partnership rests upon the lastingvalues created by time-honoured interactions of their cultures and traditions.
In thepast 25 years of cooperation, ASEAN and India have established connections oflong-term historical friendship to nurture the solid foundation of the trustedpolitical ties, paving the way for a fruitful comprehensive cooperation betweenthe two sides for peace and shared prosperity.
TheSummit in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of ASEAN - India partnershipheld this month in New Delhi is a historic milestone that showcases the excellentrelationship between ASEAN and India. Given this large and solid foundation, itis incumbent upon the leaders of ASEAN and India to take the partnership to thenext level, the PM said.-VNA
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