Vietnam’s PM proposes measures to make ASEAN an epicenter of global growth
(VOVWORLD) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday called on ASEAN to promote economic connectivity, expand internal markets, and unclog trade and investment flow in order to make the bloc an epicenter of global growth.
 PM Pham Minh Chinh and Indonesian President Indonesia Joko Widodo and his wife. |
In his address at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Prime Minister Chinh asked ASEAN states to remove policy and constitutional bottlenecks and barriers as soon as possible and maintain a stable internal supply chain. Trade ministers should work more resolutely on upgrading or negotiating new free trade agreements with partners to create new momentum for regional economic development, he said.
Ensuring regional peace and security should first and foremost be the responsibility and the focus of efforts of ASEAN itself, according to the Vietnamese Prime Minister. To this end, Mr. Chinh said, ASEAN members need to uphold the spirit of unity, independence, and self-reliance in both word and action.
The Prime Minister announced that Vietnam will host a future ASEAN forum on rapid and sustainable development with the needs of the people at the center. The same day, Prime Minister Chinh and leaders of other ASEAN countries and partners attended the ASEAN‑Indo‑Pacific Forum.