Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will make the best use of open opportunities forresult-oriented cooperation generated by the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) toserve its socio-economic development and improve its position in theinternational arena, head of the Vietnamese ASEM Senior Officials’ Meeting(SOM) Nguyen Minh Hang has said.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of ASEM Day(March 1), Hang said Vietnam will continue to join other ASEM members in enhancingthe Asia-Europe partnership and promoting ASEM’s role.

ASEM cooperation is crucial to the country’s reform, development andintegration, she said, adding that close cooperation with other ASEM membersand participation in the forum have benefitted the country and its businessesand people.

The official explained that among Vietnam’s 28 strategic and comprehensivepartners, 22 are ASEM members, and all ASEM members are the country’s leadingeconomic and trading partners. In combination, they account for 70 percent ofthe country’s total foreign direct investment (FDI) and international tradevalue, and 80 percent of international tourists.

A total 14 out of 16 free trade agreements (FTA) Vietnam has signed or isnegotiating are with ASEM partners.

These figures show ASEM’s significance to the country’s development andinternational integration, Hang said.

Besides, the forum is an important channel for Vietnam to promote bilateral tiesand deepen partnerships, she said, noting that as host of the fifth ASEM Summitin 2004, Vietnam has stepped up its bilateral relations with many key partners.

The official cited significant agreements Vietnam reached at ASEM summits likea deal with the EU on the country’s joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO)at the fifth ASEM Summit, the EU’s decision to propose the EC sign theEU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and a trade protection agreement aheadof the 12th ASEM Summit in 2018.

Amid security uncertainties and complicated competition between majorcountries, ASEM, as the largest dialogue and cooperation mechanism between Asiaand Europe, is an important forum for Vietnam to coordinate with theinternational community in promoting common interests in maintaining peace,security and stability in service of development, and backing the stance ofVietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on settlingdisputes peacefully on the basis of international law.

ASEM’s initiatives and activities have helped Vietnam optimise practicalexperience and support of other members, and improve its capacity to deal withissues relating to the interests and concern of people and businesses.

Hang said Vietnam has made use of the EU’s support for lower Mekong countriesand its commitments to provide 1.7 billion EUR for Mekong programmes during2014-2020.

Joining ASEM cooperation, Vietnamese ministries, agencies, businesses andpeople from all classes have developed an integration mindset, capacity andculture, while promoting the history, traditional culture and developmentpotential of Vietnamese regions to Asian and European friends, she said.

Vietnam’s participation in the forum as a founding member in 1996 marked a milestonein the country’s open foreign policy of multilaterisation and diversificationof relations, and international economic integration.

Over the years, Vietnam has proven itself as a dynamic and responsible memberof the forum, she stressed.

Vietnam is one of the very few members that have hosted  the ASEM Summit and many other importantministerial meetings, she said, underlining the country’s organisation of thefifth ASEM Summit and five ministerial meetings in economy, science-technology,foreign affairs, education and labour with various important documents and planscontributing to creating new momentum for ASEM cooperation, the officialelaborated.

Vietnam is also one of the most constructive members in raising cooperationinitiatives, she said, adding that the country has proposed and implemented 25initiatives, and co-sponsored 27 others.

Of note, since 2011, Vietnam has teamed up with other Mekong and Danubecountries to raise the initiative for the ASEM cooperation mechanism in managingwater resources and heightening Mekong Sub-region collaboration tointer-regional level.

During the process of reform and international integration, Vietnam has always paidattention to elevating the Asia-Europe partnership as well as the forum’sposition.

Vietnam will place more importance on intensifying Asia-Europe connectivitythrough ASEAN, partnerships and bilateral and multilateral cooperationmechanisms, while engaging in big economic networks, including the earlysigning of the EVFTA.

The country will continue to work, together with other members, to proposeinitiatives and make more contributions to partnerships in water resourcemanagement, tackling natural disasters, vocational training, education andhuman resources development, and technological connectivity, as well as tomatters of common concern of ASEM, the official said.

In 2019, the country will realise the Prime Minister’s initiatives for spurringdigital economy in the context of the fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as inclusivesocio-economic growth.

At the same time, Vietnam will continue to push ahead with dialogues andcollaboration, and promote international law and codes of conduct to maintainpeace, security and prosperity in the region and the world at large, Hang said.-VNA