Hanoi (VNA) –Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on August 6 took part in the virtual ASEAN-EU Foreign Ministers' Meetingas part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings.

Foreign Ministers of ASEAN countries, Vice President of the European Commissionand High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security PolicyJosep Borrell Fontelles and ASEAN Secretary-General DatoLim Jock Hoi attended the meeting.

Participating countries welcomed ASEAN and the EU officiallyupgrading their relations to a strategic partnership, affirming their strongcommitment to promoting cooperation on the basis of sharing common values,principles and interests, upholding multilateral cooperation and promoting arules-based international order, thus making positive contributions to peace,stability and prosperity. ASEAN agreed with the EU's proposal to hold the 45th ASEAN-EUCommemorative Summit in Brussels, Belgium in 2022.

On behalfof ASEAN, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan of Singapore, as coordinatorof ASEAN-EU relations, affirmed that the EU has always been an importantpartner of ASEAN and welcomed the positive progress in cooperation between thetwo sides over the past time. The EU is the second largest investor in ASEANwith a total capital of 7.6 billion USD and a major trade partner with a totalturnover of 258 billion USD in 2020.

ASEAN countries appreciatedthe EU’s implementation of the 800 million EUR Team Europe programme to supportASEAN in disease prevention and the 20 million EUR "Pandemic Preparednessin Southeast Asia" programme. They also asked the EU to continue tosupport ASEAN's COVID-19 prevention and control initiatives as well as coordinateto ensure access, supply, research anddevelopment of vaccines in a safe, equitable and effective manner in the region.

Regarding regional and international issues, ASEAN andEU countries shared the view on the significance of peace, stability, security,safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea.

They showed their support for dialogue, buildingtrust, exercising restraint, and taking no actions that would complicate thesituation or escalate disputes and no militarisation, as well as settling disputesthrough peaceful measures, in line with international law, including the 1982United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

The countries also backed efforts to resume negotiationstowards an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.

In his remarks, Son emphasised the importance of theASEAN-EU strategic partnership, which, he said, has significantly contributed toefforts to promote multilateral cooperation and regional connectivity.

He also lauded the EU’s important role in globalefforts in disease combat, technological application, innovation, and promotion of multilateraltrade, economic recovery  and climatechange response.

He suggested the EU help ASEAN access COVID-19vaccines in a timely fashion, consider transferring vaccine production technologyto the grouping, and assist ASEAN to improve its vaccine self-sufficiency.

As ASEAN’s leading economic partner, the EU should enhanceits coordination with the bloc to ensure the stability of supply chainconnectivity, and facilitate two-way trade and investment, the minister said.

He also proposed the EU take into account the buildingof a free trade agreement with ASEAN on the basis of FTAs between the EU and someASEAN member countries, including Vietnam.

The 1982 UNCLOS serves as a legal foundation governing all activities at seas and oceans, he said, stressing that rights and legitimate interests of coastalcountries defined in the document must be respected.

At the end of the meeting, the Philippines officiallytook over the role of coordinator of ASEAN-EU relations during the 2021-2024 period./.