Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led the Vietnamese delegation to these meetings, where ASEAN’s partners reaffirmed that they attach importance to the relationship with the group, support its central role in the region, and will actively take part in ASEAN-chaired forums.

At the meeting with the RoK, ASEAN countries welcomed initiatives within the framework of the RoK’s “New Southern Policy”, which aims to enhance cooperation with the bloc on the three pillars of peace, prosperity and humans. The foreign ministers agreed to continue efforts to facilitate trade and investment and connect businesses and the private sector of the two sides. At the meeting, Cambodia – coordinator of ASEAN-RoK relations – officially handed over this role in the 2018-2021 period to Brunei.

Meeting with the Canadian foreign minister, ASEAN hailed Canada’s active support for ASEAN-led mechanisms and stronger cooperation in prioritized fields on the basis of the ASEAN-Canada Plan of Action for 2016-2020, particularly in the fight against terrorism, violent extremism and trans-national crimes, trade-investment, connectivity, science, technology, innovation, environment, response to climate change, education, and tourism. At this event, the Philippines – coordinator for ASEAN-Canada relations – transferred the role in 2018-2021 to Myanmar.

In another meeting, the ASEAN and the EU recognized the positive outcomes of the ASEAN-EU Plan of Action for 2018-2022, which was approved in August 2017. They emphasized their commitment to promoting a rule-based international order. The two sides also encouraged each other to enhance cooperation in such fields as trade, including the possibility of resuming negotiations on an ASEAN-EU free trade agreement, and a deal on air transport.

The ASEAN foreign ministers highly valued the EU’s assistance for the former to bolster regional connectivity and narrow development gap. On this occasion, Thailand handed over the role of coordinator for ASEAN-EU relations in 2018-2021 to Singapore. At the meeting between the ASEAN and Australia, the participating officials noted strides in the implementation of the ASEAN-Australia Plan of Action in 2015-2019. They agreed to step up partnerships in prioritized areas such as fighting terrorism and violent extremism, cyber security, border management and combating human trafficking, marine security, defense, economy, adaptation to climate change and disaster management. The ministers pledged to maintain a free and open regional and international trade system. They also discussed measures to foster trade and investment ties through the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, adding that they hope to soon finalize negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. At the end of the meeting, Myanmar handed over the role of coordinator for ASEAN-Australia relations to Malaysia.

Meeting with the US Secretary of State, the two sides agreed to continue promoting ties in trade, connectivity, marine cooperation and response to trans-national challenges such as terrorism and violent extremism. The ASEAN welcomed the initiatives regarding security, sustainable development, good governance, education, young people, and start-up, among others. Concluding the event, Laos officially took over the role of coordinating ASEAN-US relations in 2018-2021 from Malaysia. Addressing these meetings, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh re-affirmed that the RoK, Canada, Australia, the US and the EU are important partners of the ASEAN. He applauded the partners’ active coordination with the ASEAN to enhance dialogue and cooperation for peace, stability and development in the region. Minh underlined Vietnam’s support for the proposed prioritized fields of cooperation and expressed the wish to join other countries in continuing to build and realize many concrete initiatives.